The wheat grown in the Tabantha region is used all across the kingdom of Hyrule for baking a number of different breads and pastries. But, it is also used for making noodles. In the western regions of Hyrule, tabantha wheat, eggs, and fresh milk are combined to make wide, rustic egg noodles. These noodles are tossed with goat butter and either eaten by themselves or served with fried fish or poultry. For this dish, popular in Rito village, the noodles are served with fried fish. The buttery al dente noodles pair well with the flaky fried fish.
It always kind of bothered me that Hyrule did not have noodles. It got me to thinking. If Hyrule did have a noodle, what would it be? Since Hyrule has the Tabantha wheat, bird eggs, fresh milk, and rock salt, these ingredients could be used to make a simple egg noodle. Since they would likely be completely hand made with simple tools, they would likely be rustic. A wide, hand rolled noodle would be easy to make, and the dumpling-like texture would give it a rustic, old-world feel that would suit Hyrule. So, this original dish is my take on a Tabantha wheat noodle served with fish.
Ingredients
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided, plus more for dusting
2 eggs
¼ cup milk
4 tbsp butter, cut into cubes
4-6 white fish filets, such as tilapia
½ cup potato starch
2 tbsp plus 2 tsp salt, divided, plus additional
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp black pepper plus additional
⅓ cup parsley, chopped
1-2 lemons, quartered into wedges
Vegetable oil
Begin by making the dough for the noodles. Add 2 cups of flour and 1 tsp of salt to the bowl of a mixer. Using a dough paddle, mix the flour and salt together on a low setting for a minute or two until blended. Turn the mixer off and make a well in the center of the flour with a spatula. Add the eggs and milk into the well you created, and turn the mixer back on to medium-low. Allow the dough to mix for 2-3 minutes until the ingredients are mixed and the dough is formed. Use your hand to mold the dough into a ball in the mixer bowl.
To knead the dough, you can take one of two approaches:
- Change out the paddle for a dough hook and turn the mixer back on to a low setting. Allow the dough hook to knead the dough for about 10 minutes.
- Dust a cutting board with flour and place the dough ball on a cutting board. Knead the dough by hand for 10 minutes.
Once the dough is rested and you are ready to make the noodles, remove the dough ball from the towel and plastic wrap. Slice the dough ball in half. Dust the surface of your cutting board well with flour. Place the dough ball on the floured surface and squish it down a little to flatten the top. Dust a little flour on top of the dough and then flatten it out with a rolling pin. Roll in all directions to spread the dough out evenly to a thickness of ⅛ inch (3 millimeters) or less. You can also use a pasta roller to flatten the dough to a thin sheet as well.
Once the dough is flattened to the desired thickness, use a knife or pizza cutter to cut the dough into noodles. Cut the dough into noodles that are ½ inch wide and 3 inches long (1 centimeter wide by 7.5 centimeters long). Place the cut noodles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. Use more than one sheet of parchment paper as needed. Cover the noodles with a towel until you are ready to cook them.
Now we will prepare the fish filets. Add ½ cup of four and ½ cup of potato starch to a bowl. Add 1 tsp of salt, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, and ½ tsp of black pepper to the flour mixture. Use a spatula or spoon to mix all of the ingredients together well. Season your fish filets with salt and pepper on both sides. Dredge the fish filets in the flour mixture and then shake them to remove any excess flour mixture. Add vegetable oil (approximately ¼ cup) to a pan over medium heat. Add two fish filets to the pan and fry them for 4 minutes until golden brown. Carefully flip the filets and fry again for 4 minutes more until this side is golden brown. Fry the filets in batches until all are cooked. Replace the oil in the pan as needed through the frying process. You can keep the finished filets warm in a 200°F oven.
To cook the noodles, fil a medium sized stock pot about halfway with water, and bring it to a rapid simmer over medium or medium-high heat. Add 2 tbsp of salt and stir to dissolve in the water. Adjust the temperature to maintain a rapid simmer. Add the noodles to the water. Based on the thickness of your noodles, they may take anywhere between 3 to 10 minutes to cook. Cook the noodles until they are al dente (soft with a just a little bite to them). When the noodles are done, drain them into a colander. Once the noodles are drained, return them to the stock pot and add in the butter cubes. Toss the butter through the noodles until it is fully melted and the noodles are coated. Add about half of the chopped parsley to the noodles and stir it through the noodles.
To serve, add a portion of the noodles to a plate and top the noodles with one of the fried fish filets. Garnish with some additional chopped parsley and serve with a lemon wedge. I recommend serving some dressed salad greens to complete the meal.