Today we venture back down the Adult Timeline to the era of the Great Sea. As Tetra and Link sailed the sea, they found themselves in the world of the Ocean King where Tetra was ensnared by the Phantom Devil, Bellum. On his quest to save Tetra and defeat Bellum, Link encountered the Anouki of the Isle of Frosr. These antlered, cold climate people enjoy seafood from the waters off their isle. One such dish they mention is Lobster Stew.
I didn’t have a lot to go off of in order to make this dish. There isn’t even an example of it in the game. So, in order to bring it to life, I took inspiration from New England style lobster stews and added some Hyrulean accents. The recipe begins by building a lobster stock from the shells, vegetables, and aromatics. This stock is then used to build a fairly quick stew. I included potatoes and carrots along with some Gerudo Spice for flavoring. How did the Anouki get Gerudo spice? I dunno…trading with Jolene maybe? Just go with it for this recipe…
All in all, it’s a tasty belly warming stew with some nice seafood and smoky flavors. It just might give me a reason to bundle up and visit the Isle of Frost… maybe…
Ingredients
4 lobster tails
6 cups of water
1 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 small onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
½ fennel bulb, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, smashed
2 bay leaves
½ cup cilantro, roughly chopped, plus additional for garnish
1 cup white wine
1 shallot, diced
2 carrots, chopped
2 potatoes, chopped
1 tsp Gerudo Spice
2 cups half-and-half
Salt
The first step in making this stew is to steam the lobsters. Fill a large enough steamer pot with 1-2 inches of water. Set the pot over medium heat. Once the water begins to simmer, place the lobster tails in the steamer basket, set it on the pot and cover with a lob. Turn the heat to low to maintain a simmer, and steam the lobster tails for about 7 minutes, until the shells turn a bright orange-red.
Once the lobsters are steamed, remove them from the pot. Once they are cool to the touch, carefully remove the lobster meat from the shells. Slice the lobster meat into bite size chunks and reserve both the chopped lobster meat and the shells separately.
Next we will make the lobster stock. Place a large stock pot over medium heat. Once warm, add olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pot. Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes to soften. Add the celery and fennel, season with salt, and cook for an additional 3 minutes to soften, stirring as needed. Lastly, add the garlic, stir, and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
Add the canned tomato, white wine, and the reserved lobster shells to the pot. Stir. Turn the heat up to medium high and allow the mixture to come to a simmer, about 3-4 minutes. Add the 6 cup of water, the bay leaves, and the ½ cup of cilantro. Allow the mixture to return to a boil again. Reduce the heat to low to maintain a simmer, cover the pot with a lid, and allow the stock to simmer for an hour.
After an hour, remove the stock from the heat and strain the stock through a mesh strainer, saving only the liquid stock. Discard the vegetables and shells.
Now we are finally ready to make the stew. Set a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Once warm, add the butter. When the butter has melted, add the shallots. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until softened. Add the carrots, stir, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the potatoes, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of Gerudo Spice. Stir the contents of the pot and allow to cook for about a minute.
Add 3 cups of lobster stock, raise the heat to medium-high, and bring the stew to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low to maintain a simmer. Allow the stew to simmer for about 10-12 minutes, until the vegetables have fully softened. Once the vegetables have softened, remove the pot from the heat. Add the reserved chopped lobster meat and the half and half. Stir until fully incorporated. Return the pot to the heat and allow to cook for 3 minutes. The stew can return to a low simmer but do not let it return to a boil at this point. Salt to taste as needed.
At this point your stew is done. Serve the lobster stew in bowls and garnish with additional minced cilantro. Enjoy!