Amber McLaughlin, The First Openly Transgender Individual Executed and How to Cook Her Last Meal 🍔🍟🍦🍫

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Amber McLaughlin, has become an American icon as she recently became the first openly transgender individual put the death in the American prison system. She was born Scott A. Daffner in 1973 to abusive, alcoholic parents who sent her to foster homes and eventually to her great Aunt and Uncle McLaughlin, who changed her name. She grew up with abuse and neglect her whole life. In 2006 she was sentenced to death for the rape and murder of her ex girlfriend, Beverly Guenther, in 2003. In 2020 she started making her transition in the Potosi Corrections Center, a male prison, in Washington County, Missouri, after meeting another transgender, Jessica Hicklin, who gave Amber guidance. Find out the full story about Amber McLaughlin. Now lets get cooking! 🍔

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Grocery List

Burger Buns 🍔

Tangzhong

4 Tbsp Whole Milk

2 Tbsp Water

2 Tbsp Bread Flour

Buns

1/2 Cup Whole Milk

1 Tbsp Yeast

2.5 Tbsp Sugar

2.5 Cups Bread Flour

1 Whole Egg

1 Egg Yoke

3 Tbsp Unsalted Softened Butter

Spray Grease

Fries 🍟

1-2 Russet Potatoes

2 Tbsp White Vinegar

Water

Salt (to taste)

Vegetable/Canola Oil (or your fry oil of choice)

Ice Cream 🍓🍦

Base

2 Cups Whole Milk

1 Cup Heavy Cream

1 Cup Sugar

1 tsp Salt

1 Pound Strawberries

6 Eggs Yokes

Finish

1 Cup Heavy Cream

Burger Sauce 🥫

1 Cup Mayo

1/2 Cup Ketchup

1/2 Cup Yellow Mustard

2 Tbsp Pickle Relish

1/4 Sweet Onion (diced)

1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

Additional Items

1/3 Pound Ground Beef (70/30 lean/fat)

1/4 Sweet Onion (diced)

Lettuce

Tomato

1 egg (for an egg wash for buns)

Extra Milk (for milkshake)

Strawberry (milkshake garnish)

Step 1

First we need to make the base for the ice cream. First blend your strawberries, with the tops cut off, with a blender of choice until smooth. Then in a medium sized pot, add together ONLY 1 cup of your heavy cream, and the whole milk, sugar, salt and your pureed strawberries. Whisk that together and place over medium heat. DO NOT BOIL this mixture. You want this to get very hot and steamy but do not let it boil. Once heated, put a lid on your pot and let that steep for 45 minutes.

Step 2

Start the yeast, since this will take you at least 8 minutes for the yeast to ferment. Take your whole milk and heat it up on the stove or in the microwave to about 95 ℉ or 35 ℃. I used active yeast but most people used instant yeast. In either case add your yeast and sugar to your warm milk and stir until dissolved. Let stand for 8 minutes.

Step 3

Next, we’re going to make a tangzhong. A tangzhong is a water/milk roux that makes bread more pillowy and fluffy and allows the bread to have a longer natural shelf life. To make it, add your water, whole milk and bread flour into a small pot and place over medium heat. Continue to stir the mixture until it combines and turns into a semi solid paste.

Step 4

Time to mix the bread dough. Add your bread flour to a stand up mixer equipped with a kneed hook and turn it on medium low speed. Add in your yeast milk and let that combined for a few moments until adding your tangzhong paste. Next add the whole egg and egg yoke to the mixture as well and let that mix until mostly combined. Before that, add the softened butter to the mixer and let that mix on medium speed for 10 minutes.

Step 5

Now we move onto prepping the fries. First take the Russet Potatoes and slice them into 3/4 inch fries. (This would be the equivalent to thick steak style fries, but feel free to cut the fries however big or small you would like) While you’re cutting the fries, place them into a bowl of cold water until you’re finished with all the fries. NO NOT let them soak in the cold water, this is a big myth when it comes to making fries. Take all your fries and wash them under cold water 3-4 times. Next add your fries to a medium sized pot and add water to cover the fries about 1 inch. Add the white vinegar and salt (make it like pasta water) to the pot and place over a medium high heat. Once the water starts to boil, cook the fries for about 8-10 minutes or until mostly fork tender. At this point it would also be a good idea to start heating up your fry oil. Using a heavy bottom pot or pan, add your fry oil of choice and place over a medium high heat, until the temperature reaches 400℉ or about 204℃.

Step 6

While the fries are boiling, the dough should be finishing up in the mixer. Take the dough out of the mixer and kneed it for another 30 seconds and then roll into a ball by using a push, pull, circular motion with your hands. Place that dough ball in a greased bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap and set to the side to raise until doubled.

Step 7

Now the hot oil should be up to around 400℉ or 204℃ and its time to fry your potatoes. This will be a quick flash fry that will only take 1 minute. Place a few of the fries on a spider and slowly lower them into the oil. CAUTION!! You need to take this slow. Make sure there’s enough room for oil NOT to boil over. This could cause a serious accident so make sure you have a fire extinguisher near you at all times while frying. Place all the fries into the oil in small batches and cook for 1 minute and then remove and place them in a paper towel lined pan or plate. Let these sit for 30 minutes before frying again.

Step 8

Its time to finish the ice cream mixture. Take the ice cream base and place it back onto a medium heat and let that get steamy again but not boiling! Crack 6 eggs into a bowl and separate the yokes into a separate bowl. You will only need the yokes. Take a couple spoons full of the warm ice cream base and pour it into the eggs yokes to temper them or warm them up. Mix that together until warm and pour the egg yokes into your base and stir it together. Keep the base warm and let it cook until it’s thick enough to stick to the side of a spoon and you can make a line through it with your finger. Now, fill a big bowl with ice and water to create an ice bath for the mixture. Next take a smaller bowl that fits in the ice bath and will hold all the ice cream mixture. Add your second 1 cup of heavy cream to this small bowl in the ice bath. When your ice cream base is ready, slowly pour the mixture into the small bowl in the ice bath and stir to combine the heavy cream. OPTIONAL: I added neon pink food coloring to my mixture at this time to make it look more like strawberry ice cream. This is optional but if you don’t do this step, it will look like a brownish red color. Either way, set your mixture to the side, stirring occasionally until completely cooled.

Step 9

The dough should be doubled by this time. Drop the dough on a work surface and divide the dough in 90-100 gram pieces. Roll those pieces into balls just like you did in step 6 and slightly flatten them with your palm. Place those on a pan and cover with another pan and set those aside until doubled again. (Place somewhere warm like beside a heater or radiator to speed up this process if necessary.) Preheat your oven to 375℉ or about 190℃

Step 10

This step is going to be prepping everything for the burger and some extra stuff to finish up the recipe. First place the butter into a non stick pan over medium heat. Dice half of the onion and place half of the diced to the side (this will go on your burger later). Sautee the other half of your diced onion in your butter until translucent and soft, about 10 minutes. Now the toppings; cut a slice of tomato and salt both sides with course salt, and then get a piece of lettuce and set those aside. The onions should be done cooking so time to make the burger sauce. In a small deli cup mix together the mayo, mustard, ketchup, relish, and the cooked onions and mix that together. Place in the fridge until your ready to assemble your burger. Next take the ground beef and weight out a 1/3 lb. or 5.3 oz. piece and roll that into a ball and set aside.

Step 11

Time to make the ice cream! The ice cream base should be completely cooled and for simplicity reasons, just follow the directions on whatever ice cream machine you will be using. I know there are a lot of modern ice cream makers however I used a traditional one pictured below. In that case make sure your metal base is placed in the freezer overnight. Fill that will the ice cream base and then fill your machine with ice and ice cream salt. Turn that baby on and patiently wait for this delicious ice cream to be done!

Step 12

First place the fry oil over a medium high heat to start warming back up. Now, the burger buns should be raised by now too especially if you placed them in a warm area. The oven should also be ready to go also. Crack an egg in a bowl and add a splash of water and mix until smooth. Brush the egg wash on your burger buns and place them into the oven to cook for about 16-18 minutes or until golden.

Step 13

The fry oil should be sitting around 400℉ or 204℃. When it is, place your fries in one spider at a time, being caution of possible boil over, and let them cook for 2-4 minutes or until golden brown and crunchy. Place them onto a plate of pan and immediately salt to taste. Cover with foil and place in a warm area to keep them hot until ready to serve, or just eat them now 👀

Step 14

While the burger buns are finishing in the oven, your ice cream should be finishing up. Take your ice cream out of whatever ice cream machine you’re using and place it into freezer safe containers. Freeze overnight or until solid but in this case, we’re making milkshakes so the overnight isn’t required here.

Step 15

The burger buns should be finished in the oven. Take those out and leave to cool for 5-10 minutes. Once cooled cut the buns in half and they’re ready to go. Now take a cast iron or non stick pan and place over medium heat. Once hot spray lightly with cooking oil and place your meat ball into the center of the pan. Add your last 1/4 diced (to taste) onto the ball and press them in. Next spray a burger press with cooking oil and press the burger until about 1/4 inch think. (This is preference. I love smash burgers so that’s my go to.) Add salt and pepper to taste. Let that cook 1-2 minutes then flip. Salt and pepper and add a slice of yellow American cheese. Let that cook another minute and its time to assemble.

Step 16

Take the bottom of the bun and spread a big spoonful of your burger sauce on it. Then place your slice tomato and your lettuce on top of that. Next take your burger patty and layer that on. Spread a spoonful of burger sauce on the top bun also and top off your burger with its crown. Place next to your fries and set that aside.

Step 17

The last step!! Take your ice cream out of the freezer and place in a container (big enough for a stick blender, or if you don’t have a stick blender, place into a blender or a food processor). Add milk to taste to whatever mixing device you have and blend away. I added a little pink food coloring here to to keep a nice pink color, again totally optional. Pour into a glass, add a straw and a fresh strawberry for garnish and your meal is ready. Enjoy!

Watch the episode and hear the story about Amber McLaughlin and see how to cook the meal with visuals! I’ll see you there :)

References:

Joshua Weissman Burger Bun Recipe

Joshua Weissman Homemade Ice Cream Recipe

Champion Hoodie (Black and White)

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