Unleash the (Cooking) Beast: Five Food Recipes Inspired by Warcraft

Have you ever wondered how it feels to live in an imaginary world? Although the magic and possibility of virtual reality is right around the corner, there is one thing that cannot be replaced by software. For me, that’s cooking.

Warcraft and food may seem like two distant and unrelated subjects, but cooking is art. Every artist needs inspiration, and for today’s article, mine came from this game.

Real-time cooking and preparing a recipe from your favorite video game can be really fun and inspiring. So, for all of you out there who love to sit and throw down a few rounds of Warcraft, I have prepared a list of meals reflecting each of the main races shown in the game. Keep in mind that these are not recipes from the game, so Beer Basted Boar Ribs are not among them.

Below is my list of five recipes inspired by the main races found in this game:

For Humans: Roe Deer

Image Credit: Maarten Vanclooster, Flickr

Originating from 14^th century France, this meal seems like something that would be served at a Paladins of the Silver Hand gathering. The central location where Humans are based  in the game is in Medieval Europe, so this meal was chosen accordingly. It is quite easy and quite tasty to make.

What You’ll Need:

• 2 pounds of venison steak (or any steak that is your favorite)
• 2 cups of almond milk
• Ground cloves of minced garlic
• ½ tsp of cinnamon
• ½ tsp of ginger
• Butter

Instructions:

1. Put a teaspoon of butter over the steak.
2. Roast the steak until it is almost done and remove it from the pan to cool down.
3. Mix all of the remaining ingredients and bring it to a low simmer. Allow it to sit on low heat until it thickens.
4. In the meantime, cut the venison into strips or pieces, and fry it on high heat for a few minutes.
5. Put the meat on the plate and put the sauce over.

This meal is best served with matured Red Burgundy or Pinot Noirs, especially those originating from New Zealand or Australia.

As Human Knights from Warcraft would say: “For the king!”

For Night Elves: Imam Bayildi

Image Credit: Smith190, Flickr

This meal is derived from Turkish cuisine. Translated, Imam Bayildi means “Imam (a Muslim priest) fainted. My guess is that its name comes from its great taste. The reason I have chosen this one, in particular, is because I have always imagined Elves as very sophisticated, proud, and dignified people.

I think that their diet is based primarily on vegetables, which is another reason why I have chosen a vegetarian option as the second on this list.

What You’ll Need:

• 4 medium-sized eggplants
• 14 oz. of onion
• 4 cloves of garlic
• Parsley
• 1 pound of tomatoes
• 4 teaspoons of oil
• 1-2 teaspoons of crushed almonds
• Laurel
• Salt, pepper and a bit of sugar

Instructions:

1. Start by cutting your eggplants in two by length and make small incisions into the part that’s “meaty”. Salt them and leave them aside for a half an hour.
2. Peel and dice the tomatoes. Then, chop the onion, garlic, and parsley.
3. Using paper towels, dry the eggplants and fry them with oil for a while on both sides. Once cooled, remove the “meaty” part of the eggplant from the inside, and chop it.
4. Put the tomatoes and onions in that used oil, and fry it until part of the liquid evaporates.
5. Add garlic, laurel, pepper, some sugar, the inside of the eggplants, and cook for about 10 minutes. Then add almond and parsley.
6. Put eggplants in prepared dish and bake for 10 minutes at 356-392°F.

As Elves would say: “Ash Karath!”

For Orcs: Southwestern Spiced Pork Tenderloin

Image Credit: Peter Pham, Flickr

If by chance Thrall and Grom Hellscream happen to be your favorite chieftains, then this meal is appropriate for you. It is strong, spicy, and rich in calories – everything needed for the strong Orcish Grunt.

I have never thought about the Orcs as ones who care about aesthetics, so I consider their meals to be simple, but rich in fats and protein.

What You’ll Need:

• 2 pounds of pork tenderloin
• 1-2 tsp of chili powder
• 1 tsp of smoked paprika
• 1 tsp of cumin
• 2 tsp of salt
• 2 tsp of cinnamon
• 1 ½ tsp of freshly ground pepper
• 1 tsp of oil

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F and put the pan in the oven. Dry out the pork with paper towels and cut off extra fat from the tenderloin.
2. Put all the spices in one bowl and mix them together to create a dry rub. Massage the meat with plenty of the dry rub. You can be done with this step there, or if you prefer, you can allow the meat to sit with the seasoning overnight to help the meat absorb it more.
3. Put oil in the pan and roast the meat for 10 minutes on each side. Reduce the temperature to 400°F. All of the cooking should take 25-30 minutes total.
4. From here, you can do two things, leave it to cool down for 10 minutes and cut it into pieces and eat, or put it into a refrigerator to cool down completely, and cut it into very thin slices using a meat slicer to enjoy it as a great base for sandwiches.

In the words of an Orcish warrior: “Bring it on!”

For the Undead: Steak Tartare

Image Credit: julie borjjun, Flickr

Since the Scourge and all other creatures belonging to this category roughly named “Undead” revolve around the theme of death, decomposing and dead bodies, the meal had to feel both dead and alive. Think about it, you have never seen a Ghoul baking or cooking something, have you? Therefore, the recipe had to include raw meat. French Steak Tartare fit the theme perfectly.

What You’ll Need:

• 2 x 6oz beef steaks
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 lemon juice
• 3½ fl oz olive oil
• 1 tsp of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 pickles, very finely chopped
• salt and black pepper
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 red onion, very finely chopped
• 2 salted anchovy fillets, rinsed, drained, finely chopped

Instructions:

1. Start by cutting the meat into thin strips. Although the general rule of the thumb is to cut against the grain, you will be cutting with it, and the strips you get in this way will then be diced.
2. Take lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, and the yolks and mix them in well.
3. Add in the meat, pickles, mustard, onion, salt and pepper, and anchovy. Stir.
4. To prepare for serving, place a ring (4 inches n diameter) onto the plate and fill it with the mixture. Press the edges to make them even.

Since this meal does not include any cooking, you have to be extremely cautious about where you are buying the meat. The Undead may be immune to a whole plethora of diseases, but you are not.

To quote Arthas, the human paladin prince who got turned to an Undead Lord: “Ah! At last.”

For Nagas: Paella Valencia

Image Credit: Peter Pham, Flickr

I’ll admit it, I have always been a devout fan of Illidan Stormrage. Since he is a Night Elf (kind of), I had to include something for the race he commands over, the Naga.

The few missions during the single player campaign were my favorite, and I fell in love with these earth and sea dwellers. Since they have a dual nature, the meal had to be appropriate to that duality. Paella, which includes seafood, plants, grains, and more represents Nagas the best.

What You’ll Need:

• 1 tsp of olive oil
• 3/4 pound of peeled shrimp
• 3/4 tsp of salt, divided
• 1/4 tsp of black pepper
• 2 of Spanish chorizo sausage
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 1 cup of chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup of chopped tomato
• 1 tsp of capers, drained
• 1/4 tsp of saffron threads, crushed
• 1 cup of short-grain rice
• 2/3 cup white wine
• 1 can of fat-free chicken broth
• 1/2 cup of frozen green peas
• 1/4 cup of water
• 18 mussels
• 2 1/2 tsp of red bell pepper
• 2 tsp of chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions:

1. Begin by salting the shrimps. Although sea salt may be a good choice, it can be left in larger grains, so pick the finely ground one. Preheat skillet with oil on a medium fire and add the shrimp. Cook it until it is done and put it in a bowl, but keep the oil because you will need it later.
2. Put thin slices of chorizo in pan and cook it for about a minute and then add the chorizo in the bowl.
3. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and fry it until it gets brown in color. Add in onion and garlic and cook them for another two minutes with continuous stirring.
4. Add saffron, capers, and tomato into the mixture and cook for a minute. Add the remaining ¼ tsp of salt, wine, broth, and rice into the pan and bring it to a boil. Cover the pan and reduce the heat, and leave it to stew for about 25 minutes.
5. If the rice is cooked before that, you can proceed with adding the shrimp mixture, ¼ of the cup of water, and mussels. Cover it again and cook until most of the mussels are opened.
6. Remove the mussels that remained closed and remove the pan from the heat. Add in bell pepper and cilantro and leave it to rest for a few minutes.

To quote Naga Siren, the four-hand hero of this race: ”I am hooked.”

I believe that you will be hooked to this meal as well.

Serve a true Warcraft meal on your table tonight!

Featured photo credit: Peter Pham via flickr.com

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