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.

parsnips of reflection [parsnip and turmeric soup]

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Rejoice, Nephalem, because Patch 2.0.1 is here! Huzzah!

There were many, many, many things that were added and changed in Patch 2.0.1. One of the shinier changes was the addition of a new brand of object to the map — the Pool of Reflection.

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The Pool of Reflection will give you an added bonus pool of EXP that will last until you DIE! So try not to die, or all that glorious additional EXP goes to waste. Noooo.

I have died several times while holding bonus EXP, and each time was much more painful than the last. I should probably stop standing in front of Demon Forges. Hmmm.

Every time I approach a Pool of Reflection, I always wonder what the pool would taste like when consumed. Would it be earthy? Would it be garlicy? When your hero drinks it, do they ever ponder what wine would pair best with it?

Well, I think I’ve figured out what the Pool of Reflection could taste like… Parsnips and turmeric!

This healthy vegetarian dish will keep you alert for your many, many Diablo adventures! You can make this dish vegan too!

UNIT COMPOSITION

blog_parsnipsofreflection_ingredients

  1. salt
  2. pepper
  3. 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  4. 1 tablespoon of thyme
  5. 1 1/2 tablespoons of turmeric
  6. 3-4 whole cloves of garlic
  7. 1 1/2 cups of butternut squash, cubed
  8. 1/2 lb of parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  9. 2 1/2 cups of vegetable broth

BUILD ORDER

Prep time will take about 20 minutes. Cook time is roughly 1 hour. This will make 6-8 servings.

OPENING

  1. Set your oven to 400° (~204° C)
  2. Place your parsnips, garlic, and butternut squash in a baking dish (you can make a tiny dish out of tin foil like I did).
  3. Season your vegetables with salt, pepper, and thyme.
  4. Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables.
  5. Roast for 45 – 50 minutes in the oven, or until the vegetables have become soft.

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MID GAME

  1. Transfer your vegetables to a pot.
  2. Using a stand mixer, blend the vegetables until smooth. Slowly add in half of vegetable broth in order to make blending easier.blog_parsnipsofreflection_cooking2

LATE GAME

  1. Once your vegetables have become a smooth paste, place the pot over medium heat.
  2. Add in your turmeric and stir to combine.
  3. Add in your remaining vegetable broth and stir until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Eat!

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GG WP, Nephalem!

It’s been very cold recently, so this soup is perfect for warming you up during the chilly winter months. Cozy up, drink some soup, and gain some EXP!

See you in Sanctuary!