Baked stirge on toast was a common dish prepared using the only edible parts of a stirge—the muscle knots at the base of its wings—cooked and served on toasted bread.[3]
Description[]
The recipe called for three stirge carcasses, white wine, dollops of animal fat, a single lemon, parsley or dill, and salt. Optionally, it was recommended to use sour cream or gravy. And the toast simply called for animal fat and a slab of bread.[3]
Cooks largely considered stirge to be inedible, owing to its sanguineous diet and its ability to carry diseases. They were instructed to carefully remove only edible pieces of stirge meat. The muscle knots were removed from the carcass's back whilst the wings were allowed to hang down off the butcher's block, allowing the blood to pool into them. When the muscle knots were removed, they had to be washed thoroughly in clean water and prepared within a day.[3]
Several knives of animal fat were then melted in a skillet, and slabs of meat were seasoned and roasted in it until done. To finish, the meat was doused in white wine and lemon juice, and allowed to steam, covered. In order not to overcook the stirge meat, the cooks were instructed to sing out sixteen verses of Laying out the Trolls.[3]
Lastly, the bread was toasted in melted animal fat in a separate skillet. The meat was then placed atop the toast, drowned in gravy or sour cream, and sprinkled with parsley.[3]
If stirge was unavailable, the recipe could be emulated using pork ribs seasoned with tarragon, rosemary, and chives. Unsalted bacon or pork chops were other suggested substitutions. If using pork chops, cooks were to marinade them in beer and barbeque sauce. Lastly, blood sausages were closer in flavor to stirge meat.[3]
Availability[]
Baked stirge on toast was served at the Three Pearls Nightclub in the City of Splendors, Waterdeep, alongside with other dishes made using exotic monster meats.[1]
The Banshee at Bay tavern in the town of Hill's Edge in the Western Heartlands also served this dish, which was highly recommended by the Old Mage Elminster himself.[2]
Appendix[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ed Greenwood (January 1993). Volo's Guide to Waterdeep. (TSR, Inc.), p. 185. ISBN 1-56076-335-3.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Ed Greenwood (September 1992). “The Wizards Three: Magic in the Evening”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Dragon #185 (TSR, Inc.), p. 59.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Ed Greenwood (October 2012). Ed Greenwood Presents Elminster's Forgotten Realms. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 89. ISBN 0786960345.