This week we take a trip not to Hyrule, but to Aionios. In the East of Aionios lies Swordmarch, and the current location of the City. Here in the City, the leader of the Lost Numbers, Monica, not only works to liberate Aionios from Moebius, but she also cooks up some fantastic dishes.
One of these dishes is a curry made with tasty sausages and Aionian vegetables and flavored with Lucky Spice. This is the Monicurry Special, her “famous” curry loved by many City residents, particularly her daughter, Ghondor.
In order to build this curry, we first need Lucky Spice. I took inspiration from Japanese curry blends and enhanced it with some background floral spices. The base of the curry is made from pork and spicy sausage. From there, vegetables and other aromatics complete curry, along with some red wine and tomato paste to redden it and add some additional flavor. It’s a really tasty curry with a little heat and a lot of flavor. I think a trip to Swordmarch would be worth it for a bowl of this curry alone!
Ingredients
Lucky Spice Roux
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp ground sage
½ tsp ground anise
3 tbsp butter
4 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp ground sage
½ tsp ground anise
3 tbsp butter
4 tbsp all purpose flour
Curry
2 cups Japanese rice
1 ½ lbs pork shoulder
12 andouille sausages, pre-cooked (or other spicy red sausages)
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large potato, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, grated
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup red wine
1 tbsp Fuji apple, peeled and grated
1 ½ tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp salt, plus additional
Black pepper
Vegetable or olive oil
2 cups Japanese rice
1 ½ lbs pork shoulder
12 andouille sausages, pre-cooked (or other spicy red sausages)
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large potato, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, grated
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup red wine
1 tbsp Fuji apple, peeled and grated
1 ½ tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp salt, plus additional
Black pepper
Vegetable or olive oil
Prepare the Japanese white rice according to the directions on the package.
Next, we need to make the Lucky Spice that will provide the curry spice flavor for the curry. Mix the curry powder, garam masala, cayenne pepper, ground sage, and ground anise together in a small bowl. Mix together until the spices are fully blended.
To make the roux, melt the butter in a pan over low heat. When the butter has melted, add the flour and stir to combine and create a loose paste. Continue to cook the flour mixture, stirring regularly to prevent burning. Cook for roughly 7-10 minutes (or as long as needed) until the mixture turns a light brown. At this time add the Lucky Spice and stir to combine. Cook for 30 seconds and then remove the roux from the pan to a bowl.
Cut the pork shoulder into 1 inch pieces. Season the pork chunks well with salt and black pepper.
Set a pressure cooker over medium heat. Once warm, add a tablespoon or two of oil. Add the pork shoulder pieces and braise for 2-3 minutes per side, until pieces are fully browned. Sear the pork in batches to avoid crowding the pot.
Reserve the pork pieces on a plate or in a bowl while you braise the remaining batches of pork.
Once all of the pork is braised and removed from the pressure cooker, let’s brown the sausages. Add the andouille sausage (or other red sausage of choice to the pressure cooker. You can add more oil to the pot if needed. Sear the sausages for about 2 minutes per side, until each side is well browned. Sear the sausages in batches. Reserve the cooker sausages on a small baking tray. When all sausages are cooked, keep them warm in a 200°F oven while you prepare the curry.
Now, add the onions to the pressure cooker. You can add a little more oil at this point if needed. Sauté the onions for about 5 minutes until fragrant and lightly browned. Add the garlic and ginger, and stir them into the onions. Sauté for about one minute.
Return the meat to the pressure cooker and add the chicken broth. Scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Secure the pressure cooker lid and set it ready to cook. Turn the heat up to high while the pressure cooker builds pressure. Once it comes to pressure, turn the heat down to low and allow to pressure cook for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, turn off the heat and release the pressure. Once the pressure is released and you can remove the lid, remove it, and turn the heat back on to medium heat.
Add the carrots, potato, red wine, and 1 teaspoon of salt. bring the stew to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to simmer, and add the apple. Allow the stew to simmer for about 10-12 minutes or until carrots and potatoes soften.
Once the vegetables soften, add your curry roux to a small bowl and whisk it with a ladle of the warm broth from the pot. Whisk until smooth (add another ladle of warm broth if needed). Remove the pot from the heat and stir the roux mixture into the curry. Stir until it is completely blended. Add the soy sauce and tomato paste, and stir to fully incorporate. Return the pot to the heat, and allow to simmer for 5-8 minutes more until the curry has thickened. If it is getting too thick, add a little more broth or water to thin. Salt to taste if needed.
When thickened and finished, remove from heat and serve. To serve the curry, add a pile of rice to one side of the plate. Ladle the curry on the other side of the plate, partly covering the rice. Lean 2-3 sausages against the curry and rice. Enjoy!