One of the most common meals found within the kingdom of Hyrule is a simple bowl of seared meat served over rice which is occasionally enhanced by a glaze. Meals such as these can be considered staple Hyrulean cooking.
Poultry, though, is also eaten across the kingdom, and it is used in dishes about as often as other meats. In game, you can make a meat and rice bowl, but we never see a poultry and rice bowl. Surely poultry is eaten over rice just as often as red meat. So, I thought, we should make this dish a reality!
The Gourmet Poultry and Rice Bowl is a “what-if” dish that seems as though it would likely exist within the kingdom. This dish is very similar to the Gourmet Meat and Rice Bowl, except chicken is used. Some of the ingredients are swapped out as well. In particular, white wine and chicken stock are used to create a more chicken-oriented demi-glacé.
Overall it’s a lighter take on the meat and rice bowl, and if you’re someone that doesn’t eat red meat, this is an opportunity to enjoy an alternate version of this common Hyrulean dish. I honestly think my kids preferred this to the actual meat and rice bowl. It is a tasty bowl, though. I think a poultry rice bowl would be perfect on a cooler afternoon in Tarrey Town, enjoying the colorful views of the Akkala landscape.
Ingredients
3 tbsp butter
½ cup onion, chopped
½ cup carrot, chopped
½ cup cremini mushrooms, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ cup all purpose flour
5 cups chicken stock
2 tsp herbs de Provence
2 bay leaves
2 tsp peppercorns
12 springs of fresh parsley
¼ cup white wine
2 cups Japanese rice
4 chicken breasts
2-3 green onions, chopped into 1 inch pieces
Vegetable Oil
Salt and Pepper
First, make the rice. I prefer a rice cooker, but on the stovetop works too. Follow the directions on the rice as appropriate.
Similar to the Demi Glacé for the Gourmet Meat and Rice Bowl, we will make a chicken broth and white wine based Demi Glacé that will become the glaze for the chicken. In a dutch oven, over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp of butter. Add the onion, carrot, and mushroom. Sauté until the onions are translucent, about 3-5 min. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to incorporate. Stir frequently until the flour begins to brown (but not burn), about 3 min. Add 3 cups of the chicken stock and whisk to incorporate the flour. Use a spatula to scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the Dutch oven, if needed, and whisk to incorporate. Add 1 bay leaf, 1 tbsp of Herbes de Provence, 1 tsp of peppercorns, and 6 sprigs of parsley. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and then reduce to simmer. Simmer for 15-25 min, until about ⅓ of the liquid has reduced. Remove the liquid from the heat and strain it through a mesh strainer, using a spoon to press the liquid through.
Return the strained liquid to the pot, add the last 2 cups of chicken stock, and whisk to mix. Add the remaining bay leaf, 1 tsp of herbs de Provence, 1 tsp of peppercorns, and 6 sprigs of parsley. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and then reduce to a simmer for 30-45 min, until ½ the liquid has reduced and it has thickened. Strain the liquid one more time. Return the liquid to the pot over low heat and whisk in the white wine. Allow to simmer and thicken. Add salt to taste. Your chicken based Demi Glacé is done. Whew!
(If the Demi Glacé didn’t thicken for some reason, worry not, just whisk in a slurry. Mix ½ cup of chicken stock and ½ tbsp of corn starch until smooth and pour it into the sauce over low heat, whisk to incorporate, and let it simmer and thicken for about 5 minutes.)
Now we need to salt and pepper both sides of each chicken breast. Add vegetable oil to a pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, and pan fry for 5-8 minutes, until nicely seared. Flip the chicken and pan fry for 5-8 minutes more. The chicken breasts are cooked through when they reach an internal temperature of 160-165 degrees. Remove the chicken from the pan and allow them to rest for about 10 minutes. Sauté the chicken in batches, if needed, so as not to overcrowd the pan.
Lastly, add the green onion to the pan and cook for about 30 seconds to a minute, stirring and tossing frequently to avoid burning or overly wilting. Remove them from the pan and place them into a bowl.
To serve, fill rice bowls with the rice. Slice the chicken breast and dip each piece in the Demi Glacé, making sure each piece is fully coated (reheat the Demi Glacé if necessary if cold). Stack about 6 pieces of chicken breast on top of the rice. Top with green onion. Enjoy!