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Dragon Salmon

“[...] the Aundair River is famous for the seafood that half-elven anglers bring back to the markets of Fairheaven. The traditional preparation of the enormous salmon that spawn in that river, like much else in Aundair, relies heavily on sauces: in this case a butter and dark wine reduction.” - Heroes’ Feast, p. 75

Packed full of healthy minerals, fats, and vitamins, fish is an important part of a healthy and balanced diet. However, the cost of fresh fish can reach astronomical prices in places where it isn't readily available. So, why not make the most of the fish you buy when splurging for it?

The Dragon Salmon from Heroes’ Feast is a great, easy recipe to get anyone started on pan-searing salmon while making it look like it came straight out of a Michelin star kitchen. With a flavour combo to die for, it’s sure to make the mouths water of even the pickiest seafood eaters!

BONUS: See the results section for suggestions on vegetables that will add a colourful flare while plating up!

See below for my notes on the results and for some helpful tips and tricks when making this yourself! Get Heroes’ Feast here: https://dnd.wizards.com/heroes-feast

Prep: 10 mins               Cook: 25 mins               Overall: 35 mins

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds (1.5 kg) skin-on salmon fillet, pinbones removed if necessary, cut crosswise into 4 equal pieces, and blotted dry*

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp. (30 ml) neutral-tasting oil (such as vegetable, canola, safflower, or grapeseed)

2 tbsp. (28 g) unsalted butter

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 tsp. (1 g) minced fresh thyme

⅔ cup (160 ml) fruity, medium-bodied red wine (such as Pinot Noir, Côtes du Rhône, or Zinfandel)**

½ cup (80 ml) low-sodium chicken broth

1 ½ tbsp. (5 g) minced fresh chives, for garnish

* I’m usually not a believer in organic foods. However, I found using organic salmon for this recipe really increased the flavour.

** Don’t use the cheapest wine for this recipe, you can really taste it. Instead, opt for a 14-16$ bottle. I recommend Bolla Valpolicella.

NOTE: Be careful if using dried thyme instead of fresh thyme since dried spices have a much more concentrated flavour. Use one-third of the amount of fresh thyme called for in the recipe if substituting for dried.

First, preheat the oven to 200℉ (93℃) with the oven rack in the middle of the oven.

Next, after blotting the fillets with paper towel, sprinkle them with salt and pepper and lightly massage it in.

TIP: Blotting both sides of the fish helps prevent it from sticking to the pan while it cooks.

Warm oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat (I set mine closer to medium) until shimmering.

The general trick with pan-frying fish is to use high heat and to give the fillets enough time to cook on both sides while only flipping them once.

To achieve this, place the salmon fillets flesh-side (pink side) down and cook, undisturbed, until the bottoms of the fillet start to turn opaque (like a golden band around the bottom) and the sides of the fillet have lost their vibrant pink colour, 3 to 4 minutes.

Gently flip the fillets using either tongs or a spatula so they are now skin-side (silver side) down. Again, cook, undisturbed, for 3-4 minutes until the fillets have lost all translucent properties on the inside and the flesh flakes apart when checked with a fork.

NOTE: The timings for my fish really depended on their thickness. It sometimes took me 5 minutes a side to cook!

TIP: A downside of frying fish in a pan is that the oil will splatter as it cooks. To save yourself some clean up time (and your arms and hands), place splatter guards over the skillet to catch most of the flinging oil.

TIP: Pan-frying any kind of fish will cause your house/apartment to smell like fish. To help with this, open your windows before you begin cooking. If available, turn your fumehood on high.

Once the fillets have cooked, transfer them to a heatproof plate or baking tray lined with aluminum foil. Place the fillets in the oven to keep warm while the sauce cooks.

TIP: Like @afinickyguide found, the fillets tended to dry out if left in the oven too long. To keep them moist, tent a piece of aluminum foil over the fillets before putting them in.

TIP: Let this picture be a lesson in why you never want to overcrowd a pan. I couldn’t find the tongs and had to use a spatula to flip and get them out of the pan. Disaster!

Reserve the oil used for cooking in a separate bowl for later. Then, wipe out the skillet.

After, melt 1 tbsp. butter in the skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallots, thyme, and ¼ tsp. salt and cook, stirring constantly, until the shallots soften - about 1 minute.

Heroes’ Feast says to add the wine and the chicken broth then adjust the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer to cook until reduced by two-thirds. However, I’ve found that simmering the sauce on medium-high reduces it too quickly, and simmering on low (as simmering usually works) reduces it too slowly.

Instead, for more consistent results, add the wine and broth and simmer on medium for 6 minutes (for the sauce to reduce by two-thirds). Stir occasionally and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any stuck browned bits. Add the reserved oil halfway through.

TIP: Like @afinickyguide, I found there was barely enough sauce for all four fillets. I recommend doubling the amount of ingredients for the sauce to have enough.

Reduce heat to low and add the remaining 1 tbsp. butter, ¼ tsp. salt and pepper to taste. Stir constantly while the melts and incorporates into the sauce. Taste the sauce and, if necessary, adjust seasoning with salt.

Pour or spoon sauce over or around the salmon fillets, sprinkle with chives, and serve hot.

TIP: If you don’t like skins on the bottom of your fish, they can be easily taken off after cooking by turning the fillets on their sides before plating and gently prying them away using a fork while a spatula keeps the fillet in place.

Overall, I would give this recipe a 5/5. Fish is a staple in my house and I’m happy to say that this recipe has replaced our traditional one - it’s truly outstanding! The sauce is a perfect balance of flavours and choosing the right red wine provides excellent body and depth to the meal.

As mentioned earlier, I only have two gripes with this recipe: the fillets can dry out easily if left to warm in the oven too long and that you may need to make double the amount of sauce, depending on your tastes. However, both are easily fixed by tenting the fish with aluminum foil before placing it in the oven and doubling the amount of ingredients for the sauce.

BONUS: For extra flair when serving, plate the fillets with green veggies like broccoli, peas, or green beans for a colourful contrast!

Looking for a fun family activity this Victoria Day? Roll up you sleeves and try out these tasty biscuits to go with the the beautiful weather!

Yawning Portal Buttermilk Biscuits

While the inn’s undisputed main attraction is the cavernous portal that descends straight into deadly Undermountain dungeon, these famed biscuits are a close second. - Heroes’ Feast, p. 31

I’ve always wanted to make biscuits, but was never motivated enough on a Sunday morning to take the time to prep and clean my bread board to knead dough. So, it was a wonderful surprise  when I saw this no-knead recipe for biscuits in Heroes’ Feast!

Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, these biscuits are so melt-in-your-mouth delicious that you’ll throw away any other recipe you have.  Whether eaten warm, at room temperature, or a day or two later, they are an amazing on-the-go breakfast snack that pairs well with any jam.

To really spice up your morning, try them with a side of Otik’s Skillet-Fried Spiced Potatoes!

See below for my notes on the results and for some helpful tips and tricks when making these yourself! Get Heroes’ Feast here: https://dnd.wizards.com/heroes-feast

Keep reading

Here are the cookies I made with the scraps leftover from the house I made for the Gingerbread Showcase (VOTE) ft. myself, @afinickyguide , Luboffin_ , and Samantha Nahra!

I really love how these turned out, especially the reindeer! I think I just found my new Seasonally Appropriate(tm) profile picture

Also, the hot chocolate shown here is the Hot Cocoa Broth from Heroes’ Feast if you’d like to try it for yourself!

Homely Halfling House (Gringerbread)

“A traditional treat served in the waning light of the month of Sunsebb in Greyhawk, this style of gingerbread man memorializes a legend about the ancient ruins of Castle Greyhawk.”- Heroes’ Feast, p. 43

Here’s my entry for the unofficial 2021 Heroes’ Feast Gingerbread Showcase that I’m participating in with:

@afinickyguide

Samantha Nahra

Luboffin_ (Luna)

Check out their gingerbread houses and use this Survey Monkey link to vote for your favourite! : https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LHFG8PD

As the chilly winds descend on Fearûn, there’s nothing more comforting to a halfling than cozying up in their house by the fireplace with their favourite book and a steaming cup of cocoa broth.

So, as we all settle in for the winter months ahead, bring some cozy warmth and joy to your holiday season and create your own halfling house!

Spiced without being overbearing, these cookies are a great dessert to serve with coffee or hot chocolate, or pack them in a cookie bundle with some Earl Grey cookies and Banana-Cranberry muffins!

Remember to vote for your favourite house using the Survey Monkey link!

Check out below for my process in creating the house and for some helpful tips and tricks when making this yourself! Get Heroes’ Feast here: https://dnd.wizards.com/heroes-feast

Prep: 10 mins            Cook: 2 hours 15 mins*            Overall: 2 hours 25 mins

* Includes time for dough to chill

Ingredients for the dough:

3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour

¾ cup (75 g) dark brown sugar

1 tbsp. (8 g) ground ginger

2 tsp. (6 g) ground cinnamon

¾ tsp. (5 g) baking soda

¾ tsp. (4 g) kosher salt

¾ tsp. (2 g) dried mustard powder

½ tsp. (1 g) freshly grated nutmeg

⅛ tsp. (.3 g) ground cloves

12 tbsp. (170 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

⅔ cup (160 ml) unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap)

3 tbsp. (44 ml) whole milk

½ tsp. (3 ml) pure vanilla extract

Ingredients for decorations:

1 ⅓ cup (175 g) confectioners’ sugar

1 egg white

¼ tsp. (2 ml) pure vanilla extract

kosher salt

In a food processor, combine flour, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, mustard powder, nutmeg, and cloves. Pulse several times to mix.

Then, add the melted butter, molasses, milk, and vanilla and process until the ingredients form a dough with no remaining streaks of flour, 15 to 30 seconds, stopping to scrape down the sides of the dough as necessary. (Picture 1) )

Lightly dust a work surface with flour, scrape the dough onto it, and knead briefly until the dough forks a cohesive ball. (Picture 2) )

Divide the dough in half, and flatten each half into a disk ~¾- to 1-inch thick. (Picture 3) )

Wrap each half in cling film and allow to chill in the fridge for one hour or up to 24 hours. (Picture 4) )

Preheat the oven to 350F (177 C) with the racks in the upper-middle and lower-middle of the oven. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Making regular gingerbread cookies

Unwrap one of the dough disks and lay it between two pieces of parchment paper on your work surface. Roll out the dough until it’s roughly 11-inches (28 cm) in diameter and ¼–inches (0.5 cm) thick. (Picture 1) )

Cut out as many cookies as possible using your cookie cutter of choice. You’ll get more than I did here since I used the dough scraps from the house. Heroes’ Feast used a 3 ½-inch (1.3 cm) gingerbread man cookie cutter for all of theirs. (Picture 2) )

Peel away the dough scraps so that all you have left is the shapes. The dough is super sticky and a nightmare to transfer. The easiest way that I found to transfer the cookies was to cut out the parchment around each cookie (Picture 3) ) and use it to flip the cookies onto the baking sheet.

Once the cookies have been transferred, peel away the parchment. (Picture 4) )

Making a gingerbread house

Roll out the dough the same way you would for the gingerbread cookies. (Picture 1) )

Next, trace any shapes you want to use for the house onto parchment paper and cut them out with a sharp knife. Do not lay down regular paper as the stencil for the cookies - the dough is way too sticky and makes it a nightmare to peel off.

To get the right dimensions for the house, I first traced out the shapes with a ruler onto graph paper and cut them out to use as stencils for the parchment shapes. (Picture 2) )

Peel off the parchment paper stencils and cut out the bottom parchment piece the same way you would if making regular gingerbread cookies (previous step). Use the cut out parchment to flip the shapes onto the baking sheet. Once transferred, peel away the parchment (Picture 3) ).

Dimensions

Front and Back: 5-inches (13 cm) base, 2.5-inches (6.5 cm) wall height, 3.5-inches (9 cm) diagonal for the roof

Side Walls: 6-inches (15 cm) base, 2.5-inches (6.5 cm) wall height

Roof*: 7.5-inches (19 cm) length, 4-inches (10 cm) width

* Meant to hang over the edge of the front, side, and back pieces.

Making a 3D Christmas tree

To decorate the house, I really wanted to make a 3D tree. To attempt this, I cut out two trees and created small slits to allow them to slide together.

Making regular gingerbread cookies

Bake each tray of cookies until they begin to set and the edges and are slightly puffed, about 9-11 minutes, rotating the pans 180 degrees and switching racks halfway through baking.

Cool the cookies on the sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating. (Picture 1) )

You won’t be able to cook all of the cookies on two baking sheets. Make sure to let the baking sheets cool before loading them with more cookies.

Making a gingerbread house

Since these cookies were so much larger than their cut-out cousins, I left them in the oven about 5-6 minutes longer.

I also left them to cool on the rack for a few hours to harden up a bit so they wouldn’t be as flexible when building the house.

Like if you’re making regular cookies, you won’t be able to cook all of the cookies on two baking sheets if you’re using up the scraps from cutting out the gingerbread house shapes. Make sure to let the baking sheets cool before loading them with more cookies.

Decorations

For the frosting, add the confectioner’s sugar, egg white, vanilla, a pinch of salt, and 1 tbsp. water to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on medium-low until combined, about 1 minute.

Adjust the speed to medium-high and beat until glossy, soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl as necessary. (Picture 2) )

For decorations, Heroes’ Feast uses chopped up walnuts and currants. I wanted to make a wreath for the house, so I used chopped pistachios instead. (Picture 3) )

Using baking soda in gingerbread cookies is great when making cookies that you don’t need to retain their original shape too much. But, it’s a bit of a pain when trying to make a gingerbread house.

After doing some sleuthing on Sally’s Baking Addiction, it looks like the best thing to do for gingerbread houses is cut the amount of baking soda used by ¾.

To fix my cookie-spreading problem post-baking and make everything a bit more manageable, I started by re-cutting out the slits I had made in the 3D tree before baking. (Pictures 1) and 2) ).

Next, I used the graph paper stencils I had made as guides to trim the cookies back to their original dimensions. (Pictures 3) and 4) ).

In hindsight, to save myself from the gingerbread crumb apocalypse, I would have trimmed them before I let them harden for a few hours.

To decorate the house, I used these Wilton products:

#16 decorating tip (open star)

#2 decorating tip (round)

4 piece, quick twist coupler system

16-inch featherweight decorating bag

To start, I used the #16 tip to pipe a line of frosting onto the base of one of the front/back walls and attached it to the serving platter. Then, I piped icing along one of the long and short edges of the side walls and attached them to the serving platter and front wall. (Picture 1) )

I attached the back wall by piping icing along its base and inside edges and securing it to the serving platter and side walls. (Picture 2) )

Because the roof was pretty heavy and I didn’t want it to fall, I tried to attach it extra securely by piping icing onto the slanted edges of the roof and one of the long walls while also piping icing onto the edges of the roof where it would attach in those places. (Picture 3) )

I wanted the roof to overhang on the front and back of the house, but since I hadn’t accounted for the extra length on the sides from the width of the front and back walls, they were actually a bit short*. I used scraps from cutting the gingerbread back into shape to pad the edges. (Picture 4) )

* The dimensions provided in a previous section take this extra width into consideration.

To clean up the “structural frosting” of the house a little bit, I used the #16 tip to add little dots of frosting along seams and a line of frosting connecting the two halves of the roof. (Picture 1) )

After, I switched out the the #16 tip for the #2 tip and used it to pipe on the shingles. (Picture 2) )

Again, I used the #2 tip to pipe on windows and a door. (Picture 3) )

Finally, I used frosting to attach little pieces of pistachios to create a wreath and put together the 3D tree - it stands on its own! :D (Picture 4) )

Overall, I would give this recipe a 5/5. Not only are the cookies well spiced without being overbearing, you can also have a lot of fun and be creative with it!

If you’re making regular gingerbread cookies, they come out really nice - crunchy on the edges and soft on the inside!

For making a gingerbread house, all I would change would be to lower the baking soda by ¾ to not have them spread out as much and use crusting buttercream frosting instead of royal icing. But that’s just because I like buttercream more.

I highly suggest using this recipe and trying to make your own gingerbread house with friends! It’s a lot of fun and you get to eat it afterwards - win-win!

Happy Holidays everyone and thanks again to:

@afinickyguide

Samantha Nahra

Luboffin (Luna)

For participating in this years unofficial showcase - this couldn’t have happened without you all! <3

Check out their gingerbread houses and use this Survey Monkey link to to vote for your favourite! : https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LHFG8PD

you need to have 3 drinks with you at all times:

drink one: water. this one's water. can't beat the og

drink two: fun drink. this is a drink with colors or perhaps bubbles in it.

drink three: substance drink. on weekdays this is usually a caffeine drink. for the agonies. on weekends it may be an alcohol drink instead. also for the agonies. sometimes you can combine fun drink and substance drink into one. not always though

Super Flaky All-Butter Pie Crust

No matter the filling you use, the backbone of any good pie is the light, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth crust. As such an important part of the pie experience, it can seem very daunting to make it yourself: you need to keep the dough cold, not overwork it, and why does every recipe want lard or shortening?!

Luckily, after much time searching, I have found the most amazing recipe combo that has all of the buttery-flakiness you expect from a pie crust with minimal effort!

In addition to wanting to learn how to make pie crust, I decided to give it a go because Heroes’ Feast calls for a lot of “sheets of pie crust” and no matter how hard I searched my grocery stores, I could never find it. So, I hope that all of you in a similar situation can use this for your pies! You’ll find that going back to store-bought will never be the same.

See below for my tips and tricks for making your own buttery, super flaky crust at home!

(This recipe is both inspired by and a modification of Katy Perry’s pie crust (here) and a food processor method I found (here))

Prep: ~5 mins               Cook time: ~1h 15 mins                   Overall: ~1h 20 mins

For the ingredients:

2 ½ cups (313 g) all-purpose flour

20 tbsp. (284 g) salted butter

½ cup (118 ml) ice-cold water

TIP: If you don’t have salted butter, use 20 tbsp. unsalted butter and add ½ tsp. + ⅛ tsp. of kosher salt.

If using salted butter, add 1 ½ cups (188 g) of flour to the food processor.

If using unsalted butter, combine 1 ½ cups (188 g) of flour and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine (4-5 pulses).

Scatter butter cubes over the flour mixture and process until dough or paste begins to form (above-left). This should take ~15 secs and there should be no uncoated flour.

Next, redistribute the flour-butter mixture in the food processor (above-right).

Add the remaining 1 cup (125 g) of flour and pulse until the flour is properly distributed and becomes crumbly. This usually takes me ~7-8 pulses.

Transfer dough to a medium-sized mixing bowl. To help keep the dough cool, I put the bowl in the fridge when I start preparing the ingredients.

Sprinkle 4 tbsp. of ice-cold water over the dough. Use a rubber spatula to press the dough pieces together until they start to form larger clumps.

To test if it’s ready, take a piece of dough and pinch it between your fingers (above-left). If it holds together, you’re good to go. If it crumbles, add 2-4 more tbsp. and keep combining.

Once the dough is ready keep the dough in the bowl or transfer it to a clean surface and work it just enough so that it forms a ball.

NOTE: I would definitely advise starting with 4 tbsp. of ice-cold water. I thought I had added enough after 2 tbsp. (directed in Katy Perry’s recipe) but the dough kept breaking when I took it out of the fridge to roll out. This isn’t as much of an issue when using 4 tbsp.

Cut your dough ball into two halves and press them into discs. Wrap each half in cling wrap and let it chill in the fridge for at least an hour or up to 2 days before rolling it out (it should feel super hard).

If you’re pre-making your dough, it can stay in the freezer for up to 3 months! Just remember to thaw it out in the fridge overnight before using.

Personally, I would rate this pie crust recipe a 5/5. As long as you take care to not let the dough get too warm, your pie crust will be as buttery, light, and flaky as can be!

The pies shown in this post are the Elven Maruths on p. 64. Get the book here!: https://dnd.wizards.com/heroes-feast