Breath of the Wild #73: Prime Poultry Pilaf

Ingredients: Raw Bird Thigh, Hylian Rice, Goat Butter, Bird Egg

Description: "The rice permeates the savory taste of the poultry in this Gerudo-region favorite."

Pilaf part deux! I've mixed it up a bit, instead of corn and carrot we have onion and pomegranate. Chicken breast instead of drumstick, mint instead of chives, and a few more spices. Going for kind of a mediterranean/middle eastern thing

This time we got the chicken stock, turmeric and garam masala again, but adding salt and pepper, star anise, cardamom pods, cumin seed and a bay leaf. Classy!

Again, will stir it around in hot water first to dissolve everything and mix it more evenly before I steam it.

Now, time to rip in to this pomegranate! I haven't had a whole pomegranate for years and years. It's actually easier than I remember I guess, just a bit annoying picking out all that pith for a fruit that I don't think really tastes all that good.

They look a bit pale, maybe underripe, well they are going in rice.

I'll fry up the whole breast chunks and finely diced onion in plenty of butter first. I'm keeping a whole breast in tact for presentation, and ill chop the other 3 once they are cooked to toss in the rice.

stripped off the best leaves of some big stalks of mint.

there's the rice looking done! just like last time I figured I can just make plenty of it.

Ah right, egg is also involved somehow. I'll do like last time, but I think one egg will be plenty.

In goes the chopped chicken and pomegranate, and what else...

Ah! peas!

That's looking respectable, but slightly dry, nothing another lump of butter can't fix. This has to be PRIME.

****

Hmm yeah its about as good as the last one. The spices add more complex flavours. The pomegranate and mint add very little actually. The chicken breast is a little better I guess, it's not too dry. Also i garnished it with basil leaves because i forgot about greens. I guess i'm knocking off a point because we used more and fancier ingredients and it doesn't really seem like its better than the last one. Also I did the next recipe a while before these so observe me talking like i've never made a poultry pilaf before.

Breath of the Wild #72: Poultry Pilaf

Ingredients: Raw Bird Drumstick, Hylian Rice, Goat Butter, Bird Egg

Description: "Sauteed Hylian rice steamed in poultry broth. Cook on low heat until the rice is fluffy."

Conveniently, I've got some boneless drumstick meat. I've got basmati rice, butter, egg, chicken broth and spices, carrot, peas and corn. Let's make the basic version of a poultry pilaf!

Here's a chicken stock cube, turmeric and garam masala.

I'll pour in hot water and mix it around until the stock has dissolved before I steam it.

Meanwhile I guess I can cook the chicken in butter with a bit of salt and pepper.

I'll dice the carrot into small cubes and add that too.

I didn't buy any greens for garnish, but then I remembered there's a bunch of stuff growing in my planters. I've got a bit of chives and some sort of long gangly chard stem? I can pick the leaves off and use those.

The rice looks good!

I guess this isn't egg fried rice, but we have eggs in the recipe somewhere... so ill fry them as little scrambled eggy bits (with more butter) and then mix them in with the rice.

And i'll mix in the rice and sizzle it a bit. I hope this comes out good because i'm accidentally making quite a lot of it.

Lastly we can heat up the frozen peas and corn in there too.

I daresay that's looking rather respectable? Well maybe the chicken could be a bit browner, but it's cooked through.

*****

Honestly with those cheap ingredients its kinda giving... like a budget ready meal or school dinner...? But you know what, even though it's kinda basic, its very moreish and perfect comfort food. Why not cook a big batch of fluffy golden chicken rice sometime?

Breath of the Wild #71: Crab Risotto

Ingredients: Any Crab, Hylian Rice, Goat Butter, Rock Salt

Description: "An everyday staple of seaside villages, the secret to its delicious flavor lies in crab fat."

If you'll remember way back in recipe 21, I bought and boiled a small heap of crabs. This is the day after I did all that, to use that fresh(ish) boiled crabmeat in this risotto. We have our arborio rice, butter and rock salt as per the recipe, and i'll also be flavouring it with veg stock, sweetcorn, garlic, parsley, white wine, lemongrass and lime. I thought i was gonna keep it simple!

I'll melt the butter and brown the crushed garlic. Everything else is cooked I guess, so it can go in near the end. Do i need more butter? I guess i can add more if it needs it..

Next ive added hot water and mixed in the stock cube, and then ill add the risotto rice.

I suppose I should put those misc seasonings in too... plenty of the rock salt, and a little bit of white wine and the lemongrass. Its just there because i want to finish up that old jar thats been in my fridge for ages tbh.

OK while the rice is cooking time to deconstruct this crab! I'll save a couple claws for garnish, and ill use half of the crab meat now and freeze half to use in the crab omurice for recipe 79!

I need to keep stirring the rice and topping it up with water as I go along.

In goes the crab meat, sweetcorn, chopped parsley and that lime wedge.

***

It's fine. The rice is still a little bit undercooked, my bad. This is the trouble with always winging it. It tastes a bit like.. garden? I think its the garlic and parsley. I kinda actually wish i used something to enhance the crab flavour, like seafood stock or crab sticks. I guess they said the secret ingredient was crab fat, I didn't have any crab fat. Do crabs really have fat?

Breath of the Wild #70: Salmon Risotto

Ingredients: Hearty Salmon, Hylian Rice, Goat Butter, Rock Salt

Description: "The rice used in this rich risotto permeates the light flavor of the salmon."

I've got a nice strong gimmick idea for this risotto. Let's do the classic sandwich combo of smoked salmon, cream cheese and dill! Will that work in a risotto? time will tell. About 45minutes.

I guess we don't need to fry any garlic or onions ahead of time, so i'll just warm up the butter and throw the rice and stock right in!

In goes risotto rice, a bat leaf, and a stock cube. I used chicken stock because i already had a packet, but veggie or fish would make sense too.

Once thats nearly cooked i'll throw in the frozen peas and dill. Ive had this packet of frozen dill in my freezer for... uh, so long. It's never ending. 

And lastly when its REALLY nearly cooked, I chop up and throw in some smoked salmon and a couple tablespoons of cream cheese and just mix/melt that in there. Oh, and theres salt on the ingredients so we can sprinkle on some sea salt.

*****

Huh I think I like it... maybe I just like how easy it was? Its light and creamy with that classic gravlax flavour. I would probably make this again...?

Breath of the Wild #69: Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients: Any Mushroom, Hylian Rice, Goat Butter, Rock Salt

Description: "The tantalizing aroma of mushrooms and butter beckons you to the table."

I was gonna get dried mushrooms for this and make some kinda stock, but I saw they had a nice easy mushroom sauce and some mixed oyster mushrooms, so why not? Alongside that I've got risotto rice, spring onion, butter, seasonings and parmesan.

I'll fry the mushrooms and spring onions in plenty of butter to start... I think i'll just keep the mushrooms whole, better for the final photo and that.

Then I can throw in the rice and seasonings, I've got salt, mixed pepper, extra white pepper, and tarragon. The pre-made sauce should provide extra flavours since it's got garlic and white wine.

Then we keep adding water and stirring till the rice is cooked. 

Once it's nice and cooked, I add in the sauce and some grated parmesan and mix that all in. Oh and I still have some basil for garnish.

****

The rice is perfectly cooked and the creamy mushroom flavour is... well, it's about as good as mushroom gets on its own I think. It would be better with some other ingredients, like meat or peas.