Kilton, the quirky merchant of Hyrule, is famous for his love of monsters and his curious invention, monster Extract. He roams the Kingdom selling his mysterious brew, which he claims is made from the essence of monsters themselves. This peculiar ingredient opens up a whole new world of recipes for adventurous cooks, adding an unpredictable twist to traditional dishes. Monster Extract can make meals sweeter, more savory, or even drastically change their color, creating a strange yet fascinating experience in Hyrule’s kitchens. One dish in particular that makes use of the Monster Extract is the Monster Stew, a dark and ominous-looking meal that packs a surprising depth of flavor.
"Meat and seafood simmered in monster extract. A savory dish despite its ingredients."
Um, yeah, about that seafood… we’ll talk about that later… but for now let’s talk a little about how we are bringing this stew to life.
This recipe takes inspiration from the in-game stew, using purple vegetables like purple carrots, purple potatoes, and red cabbage to give it that deep, monstrous color. We also include smoked paprika for a subtle smoky flavor and add a unique twist with ube powder, which enhances the purple hue and provides a mild sweetness.
The stew in the game uses both seafood and meat, but for this version I decided to focus on just using meat. Gasp! I know, I know… but I made pork shoulder the focus for this stew. The pork shoulder is pressure-cooked for tenderness, while cumin and coriander provide a balanced, earthy base, much like the wild flavors you’d expect from a dish inspired by Hyrule’s most enigmatic ingredient. This recipe blends rich, savory notes with a touch of sweetness, much like the unpredictability of the Monster Extract itself.
Ingredients
1 ½ lbs pork shoulder, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 lb white fish, skin-on, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 slices bacon, diced
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 ½ tsp smoked paprika, divided
¾ tsp cumin, divided
½ tsp coriander
⅛ tsp ground clove
¾ tsp salt, divided, plus additional
¾ tsp black pepper, divided, plus additional
4-5 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
5-7 sprigs of thyme
1 tbsp fish sauce
3 medium purple carrots, peeled and chopped
3 small purple potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 cups red cabbage, shredded
1 tbsp fresh dill, minced
¼ cup ube powder
½ cup water
Olive oil
Start by setting your pressure cooker to sauté mode (or use a stovetop over medium-high heat if needed). Add a splash of olive oil and the diced bacon. Sauté the bacon until the fat renders and the pieces turn crispy, about 4–5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon and transfer it to a small bowl—reserve it for later. Season the pork cubes generously with salt and black pepper, then begin browning them in the rendered bacon fat. Work in batches, searing the pork on all sides until nicely browned, about 4–5 minutes per batch. Once browned, transfer the pork to a plate and set aside.
In the same pot, sauté the chopped onion until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for one minute. Stir in 1 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp cumin, ½ tsp coriander, and ⅛ tsp clove, allowing the spices to cook for about 30 seconds, releasing their aroma.
Next, add the pork back into the pressure cooker along with 4 cups of chicken broth. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Then, add a bay leaf and the thyme sprigs. Seal the lid, set the cooker to high pressure, and cook for about 30 minutes. After cooking, allow the pressure to release naturally for about 10-15 minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure.
If the broth amount looks low, you can add one more cup of chicken stock and stir it into the stew.
Discard the thyme and bay leaf, and add the purple carrots, purple potatoes, and red cabbage to the pot. Add ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, and 1 tbsp fish sauce, and stir. Switch the pressure cooker to simmer mode, or if you are working with a stovetop pressure cooker, bring the stew back to boil over medium-high heat and then reduce to low to maintain a simmer. Let the stew simmer uncovered for 12-15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
While the stew is simmering, mix ½ tsp smoked paprika, ¼ tsp cumin, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper together in a bowl. Season the fish cubes well with this mixture, ensuring the fish cubes are evenly coated in the spices.
Set a pan over medium heat. Once warm, add a tablespoon of olive oil and coat the pan. Add the fish cubes skin side down and allow them to fry for 2-3 minutes. Use tons to flip the fish to the other side and fry for 2-3 minutes more, until tjr fish cubes are fully cooked through. Set the fish aside.
While the vegetables are simmering, add the ube powder and water into a small bowl and whisk together to form a loose paste. Once the vegetables are tender, stir in the ube paste and mix it well to blend the color and flavor into the stew. Allow the stew to simmer for an additional 5 minutes to allow the purple color to set in and the stew to thicken.
If the stew is not purple enough, mix 1 more tbsp of ube powder with 2 tbsp of water or 2 more tbsp of ube powder with ¼ cup water to create more slurry and stir it into the stew.
Add the fish cubes and gently stir them into the stew. Allow the stew to simmer for 2-3 minutes more to warm the fish.
Finally, taste the stew and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to your preference. Ladle the warm stew into bowls to serve. Enjoy!
Learn more about the Monster Stew dish from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom at Zelda Dungeon.