Sometimes Link gets daring and experiments at the cooking pot. Sometimes these experiments go a little south. That monster part or critter seemed like a good idea at first, but then dinner turned into disaster. Of course, Link will still eat it… it’s just… well… a bit dubious.
"It's too gross to even look at. A bizarre smell issues forth from this heap. Eating it won't hurt you though...probably."
This meal may look dubious, but it won’t taste like an utter failure. A chicken leg is marinated in wine and herbs over night and then stewed with root vegetables. It’s topped with garlic spinach when served. It’s essentially a slightly different take on a Coq au Vin with a few alterations to enhance the purple color of the dish and add the green accents. Unlike the in-game dubious food, this one actually tastes good, but I can’t promise it will come out of the pot looking pixelated…
Ingredients
6-8 chicken legs
1 750 ml bottle of Merlot wine
8 cloves of garlic, peeled
4 bay leaves
10 sprigs of thyme
4 sprigs of rosemary
1 onion, diced
2-3 carrots, chopped
2-3 parsnips, chopped
2-3 potatoes, cubed
2 cups chicken stock
¼ cup flour
3 tbsp butter
16 oz spinach, chopped
1-2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
Pat the chicken legs dry with paper towels and then place it into a large bowl. Smash and mince four of the garlic cloves and add them to the bowl with the chicken along with 2 bay leaves 5 sprigs of thyme, and 2 sprigs of Rosemary. Pour the whole bottle of wine over the chicken and arrange the chicken legs so that they are submerged in the wine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Flip the chicken half way through. After 24 hours the chicken legs should turn a deep purple from the Merlot wine.
After the chicken has fully marinated, remove the chicken from the marinade, pat the legs dry with paper towels, and place them on a plate. Remove the garlic, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves from the marinade, and reserve the wine for later use. Season the legs very generously with salt and pepper. Place a Dutch oven over medium heat, add a tablespoon or two of olive oil, and lightly sear the chicken legs on each side for about two minutes. You want to avoid over browning the chicken and losing the purple color while still giving the legs a slight sear on each side. Sear the chicken in batches and reserve them on another plate.
Add the butter to the Dutch oven, and once it is melted, add the onion. Allow the onion to soften, about 3 minutes, and then add the carrots, parsnips, and potatoes. Season the vegetables generously with salt and pepper, and then allow them to cook and slightly soften for about 3-5 minutes, stirring as needed. Add the garlic, stir, and allow it to cook for about one minute, until fragrant.
Add the flour and stir it into the vegetables, incorporating it completely. Allow the flour to cook for about 3 minutes, tossing the vegetables as needed, and then pour the reserved marinade into the pot. Use a spatula to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Reduce the heat to low to bring the pot to a simmer. Stir the contents of the pot and allow the mixture to thicken, about 7-10 minutes.
Pour the chicken broth into the pot, stir, and then add the chicken legs back in. Submerge the chicken legs, and then add in the other 5 thyme sprigs, 2 rosemary sprigs, and the remaining two bay leaves. Submerge them into the stew. Cover the Dutch oven and allow the chicken to simmer for an hour.
Just before the hour has passed, place a pan over medium-high heat. Add one to two tablespoons of olive oil, and then add two cloves of minced garlic. Allow the garlic to become fragrant, about 30 seconds, and then add in the spinach along with salt and pepper. Toss the garlic and seasonings into the spinach. Allow the spinach to cook for about 2 minutes, until it is wilted. Remove the spinach from the heat.
Once the chicken is done, remove it from the heat. Salt and pepper the stew further to taste, if needed. To serve the dubious food, place some of the vegetables in the center of a plate, and top the vegetables with one of the chicken legs. Ladle a small amount of the broth onto the plate around the chicken and vegetables, and then add a small pile of spinach to the top of the chicken leg. Unfortunately, you’ll have to Imagine the purple and green pixelated appearance. Enjoy your not-so dubious food!
Oh! If you’re wondering what the dish actually looks like sans pixelation, here you go.
Learn more about the Dubious Food dish from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild at Zelda Dungeon.