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 #59: Prime Poultry Curry

Ingredients: Raw Bird Thigh, Hylian Rice, Goron Spice

Description: "The secret to this curry's flavor is taking it off the heat while you add the spices."

Middle curry! I've got bird thighs, and the graphic also had drumsticks so ill do a couple drumsticks as well. Ugh, effort. I wanted to mix it up from the indian curries a bit and use this thai style penang paste that I really like.

I forgot what I put in the rice last time... im adding turmeric to make it yellow, a bit of salt and garam masala. Swish it around and steam it. 

Since its prime, and im making a stewed curry, lets throw in a couple veg. I've got onions, coriander and some water chestnuts too!

I started browning the chopped thighs and a couple whole drumsticks, and then added the onions and a bit of water too.

Once they are looking a bit more cooked I throw in the water chestnuts, and a few tablespoons of that curry paste... I know it says to "take it off the heat when adding spices" but we're about to add some cold liquid, much the same if you ask me.

And chase it up with the coconut milk. We can add more curry paste if its looking a bit pale.

Once thats had a good while on the heat ill throw in the chopped coriander, I also have chopped chives for the garnish.

Here's the mixed up rice, looking good and yellow.

*****

Can't fault the flavour, it's so good! I have no idea why i tried to eat this with chopsticks though, off a plate, look at it. Silly. Anyway yeah its really good I would make it again, but skip the bone-in meat.

Breath of the Wild #58: Poultry Curry

Ingredients: Raw Bird Drumstick, Hylian Rice, Goron Spice

Description: "The savory meat pairs well with the aroma of spice in this common curry."

Return of the korma! time for the poultry version of the basic meat curry. The most basic version of chicken I can think of is probably this boneless wing meat. It's cheap. This one features yellow rice so we can add in some spices to that I think. I got some chives for topping as well, but no other veg. I didn't end up using that pineapple relish jar so ignore that.

I'll yellow it up by mixing in plenty of turmeric, and then ive got some salt, pepper, cumin seed and coriander in there.

Just give that a mix. Sorry i forgot to take an "after" pic of the rice but youll see it in a bit.

Frying up the chicken chunks in butter. Already less watery than the pork I cooked from frozen so thats good. I guess I can also just add a bit of salt and pepper and coriander, since that other korma was so bland.

Splat in the korma, very classy, can leave that to simmer for a while. 

And for the garnish, instead of the seaweed salt im gonna try and bring in that missing onion flavour with plenty of chopped chives.

***

Huge improvement over that pork korma. A bit more going on with the flavours, the chicken is cheap but not tough. Buuuut... well.. it's still a bit bland isn't it? I can't really say its an above average curry. Maybe korma just isn't that good? 

Breath of the Wild #28: Salt-Grilled Prime Meat

 Ingredients: Rock Salt, Raw Prime Meat or Raw Bird Thigh

Description: "A simple yet exquisite dish made by grilling high-quality meat on top of rock salt."

I know it says red meat or thigh, but I thought for this one it'd be nice to do a chicken breast for once, that seems like a simple but quality cut. I even got a slightly more premium one. Also yes the lemon "wedge" looks weird its a bit wilted and I cut it weird.

These are certainly nice and plump, i'll score them, brush them with oil, and add sea salt and lemon juice.

***

Nice enough chicken, salt and lemony flavour. Surprisingly tough, though... maybe I should have butterflied and tenderized it? Or maybe the meat wasn't so high-quality and exquisite after all... 

Breath of the Wild #23: Prime Meat and Seafood Fry

Ingredients: Raw Prime Meat or Raw Bird Thigh, Any Seafood

Description: "This comfort dish is made with choice cuts of meat and seafood."

Time to upgrade our meat and fish... this time we have salmon and chicken thigh!

And a different flavour as well, I thought this time jerk seasoning and a bit of lime would go with these (slightly) darker meat types. I'll give the chicken a headstart and then the salmon can go in after.

Looking toasty! Don't worry I think the jerk mix is supposed to blacken a lot giving it that burnt look

***

S'alright. The jerk seasoning gives it a nice balanced fruity and spicy flavour, but it was a bit boring? I guess a dried spice mix and a pan isn't exactly the real deal compared to a 12 hour fresh marinade and a charcoal bbq. I normally prefer salmon to white fish, but maybe I was craving it with something like sweet soy sauce and rice because it was a bit plain like this. I think i liked the last one better, the lemon juice gave it a real kick, the lime juice not as noticeable.