Roast Sirloin of Beef with Horseradish Sauce

Roast Sirloin of Beef, with Horseradish Sauce was on the Hotel Alexander's menu in February 1928, with vegetable accompaniments of "Vegetable Marrow, French Beans, Asparagus, Vinaigrette". I'm not sure what "Vegetable Marrow" is, but given the beans and asparagus are thin and green, I'll use a couple of zucchini sliced into thin strips.

Roast Beef

Season 1 kg sirloin, roast at 220 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes, reduce to 180 and cook for a further 15 -20 minutes. Rest, covered, for 15 minutes before serving.

If desired, the beef can be served with a thin gravy: Make a brown roux with 30g butter and 1 level tblsp flour, add 1 glass of white wine, the pan juices (from which the fat has been skimmed) and simmer for a few minutes.

Horseradish sauce

2 tblsp grated horseradish

1 tblsp white wine vinegar

1 teasp Dijon mustard
1 teasp white sugar

1 tblsp cream
salt

Mix the grated horseradish, vinegar, mustard and sugar, then gradually add the cream and salt, to taste. The sauce can be served cold, or heated gently until thoroughly hot.

Steamed vegetables

Steam beans (or sugar snap peas), asparagus and zucchini and toss in warm vinaigrette (2 tblsp olive oil, 1 tblsp white wine vinegar, garlic, a little mustard, salt and pepper).

Episode 2 - Murder on the Ballarat Train

Like Cocaine Blues, the menu for Murder on the Ballarat Train is being created in advance of Friday's episode and is somewhat hampered by the fact that I haven't actually read the novel. I won't even attempt to recreate the refreshments, if any, offered by Victoria Railways on the Ballarat train in the 1920s. Instead, I'll turn to the big hotels that accommodated and fed train travellers.

In the 1920s Melbourne's "most modern hotel", the 12-storey Hotel Alexander opposite Phyrne's departure point for Ballarat, Spencer Street station, advertised "200 rooms and 200 bathrooms". The main dining room offered "discriminating travellers who want the best Australia can provide" a 10-course table d'hote menu for 7/6: hors d'oeuvres, potage, poisson, entree, roti, legumes, entremets, savoury, dessert and cafe. The restaurant also had a la carte menu with continuous service through breakfast, morning tea, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner and supper.

After the pallid piece of toast she waved around in Episode 1, I hope the promise of country air will do something to sharpen Phyrne's appetite. 

Tonight's menu is inspired by the Hotel Alexander's table d'hote on 22 February 1928: 

Oysters a la Mornay

Filet de Boeuf Roti

Currant and Apple Tart