sturgeon stew [sturgeon bourdeto]

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I’ll admit that I am a horrible fisher in World of Warcraft. Since I started so incredibly late, my fishing skills are insanely sub-par. I basically can only catch the dinky little fish. However, on the rare occasion when I can catch a normal sized fish, it’s pretty exciting.

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AWW YEAH, NOW I ONLY HAVE TO CATCH 9 MORE OF THESE INSTEAD OF 19 MORE SO I CAN COMPLETE THIS GARRISON DAILY! 

I’ve been trying to simultaneously level up my fishing and cooking, so I’ve been spending a lot of time sitting in my garrison next to a roaring fire.

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When I first stared cooking in WoW, I thought that Sturgeon Stew looked amazing and I had to recreate it somehow. So, I did some research and looked around at my local grocery stores for a fish that would vaguely replicate the appearance of the actual in-game item.

However, I honestly didn’t expect that I would find sturgeon at my local grocery store…

blog_sturgeonstew_sturgeonBut lo and behold, there it was! STURGEON!

If you can’t find sturgeon, you can substitute another fish such as swordfish or cod.

Since the Sturgeon Stew in game has a reddish broth, I decided to create a tomato-based soup. This is similar to a bourdetowhich is basically a Greek fish stew similar to the Italian cioppino.

Let’s get cooking!

UNIT COMPOSITION

blog_sturgeonstew_ingredients

  1. salt
  2. pepper
  3. 1 teaspoon of olive oil
  4. 1 cup of white wine
  5. 2 cups of fish stock
  6. 2 bay leaves
  7. 1/2 onion, roughly chopped
  8. 5 sprigs of basil, roughly sliced
  9. 5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
  10. 4 red potatoes, quartered
  11. 2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
  12. 1/3 lb of dandelion greens
  13. 1 1/2 lbs of sturgeon, deboned

BUILD ORDER

Prep time for this dish is roughly 30 minutes. Cook time is about 45 minutes. This makes about 4 servings.

OPENING

  1. Set a large pot to high heat.
  2. Once the pot is up to temperature, add in your olive oil and sautee your garlic and onions.blog_sturgeonstew_prep
  3. Reduce to medium heat and add in your tomatoes and basil.
  4. Stir the ingredients gently and allow the vegetables to sweat.

MID GAME

  1. Add in your white wine and fish stock.
  2. Add in your bay leaf and stir.blog_sturgeonstew_broth
  3. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Add in your chopped potatoes.
  5. Let this cook for about 30 minutes.

LATE GAME

  1. After about 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft, add in your sturgeon.
  2. Gently ladle liquid over the sturgeon.
  3. Add in your dandelion greens.
  4. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for ~15 more minutes.
  5. Remove your 2 bay leaves.
  6. Eat!

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So my goal was to try to make the stew look exactly like the in-game item. I think I got pretty close?

I didn’t actually serve the dish like that though. I’M A LIAR! I cut the sturgeon into more manageable pieces:

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GG WP!

I’m sure if you sit there and eat this sturgeon stew for at least 10 seconds, you’ll gain some sort of haste buff… or at least, you’ll feel well fed for a while.

fire spirit salmon [spicy salmon en papillote]

blog_firespiritsalmon_titleHey adventurer! Are you hungry after your long journeys through Azeroth? Well, I’ve cooked up a dish for you that’s straight from the wonderful nation of Pandaria.

This special recipe was created by the amazing Sha of Happiness. She has picked some of the most delicious dishes in all of Azeroth and re-created them in her kitchen.

I’m sure you’re hungry, so let’s get started on this very simple, but very delicious dish!

Recipe adapted from Fire Spirit Salmon by Sha of Happiness. 

UNIT COMPOSITION

blog_firespiritsalmon_ingredients

  1. salt
  2. pepper
  3. 2 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
  4. 1 teaspoons of olive oil (or butter if you prefer)
  5. ~ 1 tablespoon of sliced ginger
  6. 1 tablespoon of miso paste
  7. 1 1/2 tablespoon of sesame seed oil
  8. 1 tablespoon of red chili paste
  9. 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
  10. 1/2 white onion, diced
  11. 2 4oz cuts of salmon
  12. OPTIONAL: 3 – 5 sprigs of green onion (scallion)

BUILD ORDER

Prep time for this dish is roughly 15 minutes. Total cook time is about 10 minutes. This will make 2 servings.

I’ve made a slight deviation from Sha’s original recipe. In her recipe, she suggests cooking the salmon via pan or roasting it in the oven. I’ll be roasting it in the oven, but I made a minor change — I’m cooking it en papillote!

So, I’m sure you’re asking… What is en papillote? The term “en papillote” is French for “in parchment”. Basically, the method is you take some sort of food, wrap it into a little package and then cook it. Since the food is wrapped up in its own little container, it will basically be steamed by its own juices (or what ever liquid you’ve put in the pouch).

There are many regional variants on this type of cooking. Zongzi, which is a Chinese dish comprised of sticky rice and various fillings, uses this technique but with leaves. Zongzi is also insanely delicious, so if you ever have a chance to get one, I recommend it!

OPENING

  1. Set a pan on high-heat.
  2. Add in your olive oil.
  3. Sautee your garlic and onions.
  4. Remove from heat and set aside.

MID GAME

  1. In a bowl, combine your soy sauce, sesame sauce, and red chili paste.blog_firespiritsalon_mix
  2. Add in your sliced ginger. When the salmon has finished cooking, you will want to remove these slices before plating.
  3. Set aside and prepare your salmon!

LATE GAME

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 375° (~190° C). 
  2. Place your sauteed onions and garlic on one side of the parchment paper.blog_firespiritsalmon_cooking1
  3. Place your salmon on top of the onions and garlic.
  4. Season your salmon with salt and pepper.
  5. Pour the sauce over the salmon. (Optional: Place a few sprigs of green onion on top of the salmon)blog_firespiritsalmon_cooking2
  6. Fold the parchment paper over the salmon, making sure to leave air inside the package. Roll the sides of the parchment paper up, so that the package is sealed.blog_firespiritsalmon_cooking3
  7. Place in the oven and roast for about 7 minutes. Remove from the oven when done. Be careful when opening the package!blog_firespiritsalmon_cooking4
  8. EAT!

GG WP!

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A big thank you goes out to Sha for creating this amazing and healthy recipe! 😀 Salmon is good AND good for you. <3