Breath of the Wild #65: Prime Meat Stew

Ingredients: Raw Prime Meat, Goat Butter, Fresh Milk, Tabantha Wheat

Description: "Letting the large portions of choice cuts of meat simmer brought out their savoriness."

We need a slightly better meat than last time... I've got diced beef instead of minced, and then this time I thought we could get a bit more bourguignon inspired and add a bit of wine, tomato and fresh thyme.

We can start with the beef, onions, and i've got some crushed garlic and grated ginger too.

Once thats about sealed, I'll add the carrots. A good amount of salt and pepper too.

Then we can add the water, a beef stock cube, the last of that umami paste and a nice big bay leaf.

And the red wine and some tomato concentrate too. I'll let that stew for like 45min.

Then I can make the bechdel sauce... erm... bechamel. It's a hot day so the butters nice and melty.

That and the stripped thyme leaves go in, looks really nice there!

****

I think it's a bit like the previous stew honestly. Well, I think its a better and stronger flavour broth. It's solid, but.. I guess it doesn't seem that original at this point. Maybe if it had more types of vegetables it'd be more exciting. Like some starchy potatoes or sweet peas.

Breath of the Wild #64: Meat Stew

Ingredients: Raw Meat, Goat Butter, Fresh Milk, Tabantha Wheat

Description: "This hearty meat in this mainstay dish leaves bellies satisfied all throughout Hyrule."

The simplest meat stew. I thought for a simple meat, we could do minced beef. That seems like it'd stew well. Got some carrots and onions to go with, and we'll be making that bechamel sauce just like in the veg. stews as the ingredients demand it!

Since the mince is... mince-y I thought we could cut the onions a bit smaller and fry them up for a nice flavour base.

Once they are brown I put in the mince, with some salt, pepper and paprika.

And once thats all brown too, the chopped carrots, and i'll make a bit of an instant stock with a beef stock cube and a couple open things in my fridge. I got umami paste and chopped chillies.

Time to make... a normal amount of the white sauce.

Yeah perfect. I don't really care to whisk all the lumps out. The stews already hot and lumpy!

In it all goes, it smells like a real meat stew

****

The flavours are simple and easy to like. It seems like a really good meal if you're feeling a bit delicate.

Breath of the Wild #63: Pumpkin Stew

Ingredients: Fortified Pumpkin or Sun Pumpkin, Goat Butter, Fresh Milk, Tabantha Wheat

Description: "Simply simmer a pumpkin to make this dish. A favorite in Kakariko Village."

It says simply simmer a pumpkin, so we'll keep it quite simple! I've got some leftover part-cooked squash (basically pumpkin) from the freezer, half a big onion, chicken stock, and ingredients for a bechamel sauce.

Browning the onion at first.

Then in goes all that nice pumpkin, a block of stock, and why not a big bay leaf? We're feeling fancy.

Thats had some nice stewing time, lets make up the sauce.

Hmm, how do we make this again...? Flour and butter into a paste first right?? is this too much flour?

And then slowly mix in the milk... yeah i think ive made too much.

This is probably a job for the whisk. Hey it looks less lumpy in the photo!

I made loads so I'll use half of it in the stew and half for another stew.

I haven't considered the seasoning on top... hmm.. how about dried oregano? Why not.

***

Its thick and warming, shame im currently in a heatwave... I dunno if its cause it was frozen but without blending, the pumpkin has a not ideal fibrous lumpy texture. Putting in in the blender would be much nicer. Its basic, but im still content with it.

Breath of the Wild #62: Carrot Stew

Ingredients: Any Carrot, Goat Butter, Fresh Milk, Tabantha Wheat

Description: "This simple stew sat simmering for a long time to bring out the sweetness of the carrots."

Ok, well, this is awkward, but I went ahead and did the pumpkin stew first. So you can look forward to me fumbling that one and making the bechamel sauce in the next recipe. For this we have the carrots and half an onion, and the butter, milk and flour already combined into a homemade bechamel (white) sauce. And some stock and seasonings.

Oops all my other pots are in the wash so ill get this needlessly massive one. Pumpkin pan for the carrot stew and not the pumpkin one... how ironic...

Anyway, frying up the onion and big chunks of carrot.

The pumpkin one was a bit blands so this time im going to go ham on seasonings. I'm adding celery salt, white pepper and paprika.

And then the stock and sage can go in with the water. I'll let it simmer for half an hour.

And when its nearly there, dump all that leftover bechamel in there!

*****

Wow! I nailed this one. The stew is so thick and creamy, the spices really pop and I really do think I brought out the sweetness of the carrots! This is so good!

Breath of the Wild #61: Seafood Curry

Ingredients: Any Porgy or Snail, Hylian Rice, Goron Spice

Description: "This dish brims with treasures from the sea. Its spice packs a kick, so it's not for kids."

I'm cheaping out a bit on this one. I'm out of crab claws, I just got plenty of penang curry paste & coconut milk, a load of leftover mixed seafood and some leftover vegetables to use up. Also jasmine rice and some seaweed salt for garnish.

The rice can go in the steamer while we boil up the rest of this.

I'm even out of onions, but sometimes its nice to keep it simple. We've just got boiled carrots and potatoes to go with the seafood.

A generous scoop of the curry paste, and ill boil the vegetables in some hot water to soften them up.

They are looking soft, we've left plenty of room for a whole can of coconut milk and those sea "treasures".

In goes the coconut milk and seafood! I can add a bit of water if it gets a bit too thick.

Hmm, its tasting a little bit sour and unbalanced... I have some of this in the fridge, lets bring in this secret weapon, a teaspoon or two of this!

***

The spice definitely packs a delicious kick, but I dunno it tastes a little funny? Is one of the ingredients a bit aged...? or maybe its just got a strong clammy flavour from the mussels. I had the leftover seafood chowder for lunch so maybe im just sick of seafood!? Wellll it tastes pretty good with the rice still.

Breath of the Wild #60: Gourmet Poultry Curry

Ingredients: Raw Whole Bird, Hylian Rice, Goron Spice

Description: "Once served in Hyrule Castle, the poultry used in this dish is immensely high quality."

Back to indian style, this time I've got a butter chicken paste and some turkey. The recipe on the back of the paste sachet says I should get cream and ground cashews, check. And onions, oops I forgot to get those. Maybe some garlic and ginger will make up for that? Oh also don't mind that horrifying lump in a black tub on the right, thats a frozen slow-cooked turkey thigh.

For the rice I'm steaming it with turmeric, garam masala, cardamom pods and some shredded mint and coriander.

Bit of garlic and ginger to in ghee to start us off.. does this butter curry paste even have butter in it...?

Browning the chopped up turkey breast fillets.

Then I add the paste and let that sizzle for a couple mins..

Now a bit of water and that frozen turkey thigh can go in to thaw. I probably should have defrosted it beforehand, but we can just simmer this until its definitely warm. After all, its already cooked.

I'll just use my blender on the cashews. Yep thats ground!

In go the cashews and cream. The turkey leg will have added plenty of fat as well. It's got to be "immensely high quality"!

As that cooks for a bit longer we can plate up the rice which is gently aromatic.

*****

All round nailed it! The curry is mild and creamy, but the cashew powder adds a nice depth of flavour. This feels like what that first korma should have been. Maybe some vegetables and paneer would make this even better, but that's not in the brief.