Gaming and Food, or The PC vs. Fried Chicken

Gaming and food seem to go hand in hand. I've been known to use the gaming group as test subjects for something I wanted to create. Not that they complain, seriously I had to twist their arms to try the jalapeno poppers wrapped in puffed pastry with bacon. I put the plate down, turned back to shut off the oven, and they were gone. I heard they were delicious.

Artist rendering of events.

 
And I remember several years ago, I think in one of the Wayfinder issues, I'd found several Paizo/Pathfinder related cocktail recipes. They weren't bad, and the world they created is littered with various references to food and drink that are important to people in the setting. So I started to think about creating recipes based not only on the campaigns we run but the characters themselves.
 
And wouldn't you know it, the 1920s Call of Cthulhu game proved a brilliant, if not fiery and destructive, start. To learn more about this ongoing campaign, you'll have to go to the Viscount's blog. It's quite the adventure. Currently many of us are playing 1920s caricatured versions of ourselves. Some out of his twisted mind, while others recreated themselves in the most entertaining ways. Did I mention they're history buffs too? Like everything accurate to 1/1000th scale obscure information about New York in the 20s. I think I slept through that part of history class.


1920s feel without all the pesky prohibition.

So this brings me to today's offering. Both Dr. Bob and Frances Dresden (whom the widow Carson was keen on) were from the South and found their way "up North" after a becoming an esteemed professor and finding some really weird stuff going on in the bayou, respectively. After several harrowing trips to Harlem and getting kicked out of a juice joint, both Southern boys found themselves craving some good old "friiied chick-en."
 
I know the recipe isn't exactly 1920s accurate, but I think they'll forgive me.
 
 

Chicken thighs—kind of fried.

(Adapted from Tyler’s Ultimate Chick Thighs with Wide Buttered Noodles, Fennel, and Grapes)

Serves 4
You Need:

Kosher Salt

 

1 Tablespoon peppercorns

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

8 chicken thighs (skin on)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 shallots cut in half lengthwise or 1 Vidalia onion quartered

Splatter guard

       1.  Preheat oven to 375

       2.  Grind peppercorns and fennel seed in a spice grinder. I leave them a little chunkier but you can pulse them into powder. Sprinkle over all sides of the chicken thighs then sprinkle them with salt.

       3. Put an ovenproof skillet, big enough to hold everything (I love cast iron) over medium heat. Add olive oil and heat till nearly smoldering. Put chicken in pan, skin side down, then add the shallots or onion cut side down.

       4. Cook 5-7 minutes until skin is crisp and onions/shallots are browning. (Throw a splatter guard on the pan unless you like cleaning off the stove.) Turn them over and let it go another 5-7 minutes. Turn one last time (skin and cut side down) and put into the oven for about 30-35 minutes or until chicken is cooked.

Note: I’ll admit once in a while the shallots/onion need to get pulled a little early if the chicken’s being stubborn. Use a meat thermometer until about 170-180 or whatever your thermometer says. Or stick a knife in near the bones in the thighs and if the juice is pink let it go. Ok, the shallots were a suggestions from a friend. I tried it....and no. They're too delicate and burn too fast. Stick with the onion! (I did try it with a red onion and that was pretty tasty too!)

 
But what's a great star without a side kick? Or at least a Dumb Dora? This next one I'd planned to call "What Ever Happened to That Hobo, Salesman, and Librarian" but thought it was too wordy. Instead this recipe reminds me of what eventually happens to everyone's mind in a CoC game. Plus it's a great accompaniment to the chicken.
 


Baked Potatoes and Apple (Left Holding the Bag)
Serves 4

What you need:

8-10 red potatoes cut in half lengthwise

Olive Oil

Salt (Kosher or Sea) and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

1/2 teaspoon ground sage (more if using fresh)

½ teaspoon paprika

2-3 apples cored and halved/quartered depending on preference. (Pink Lady, Gala, or Fuji hold up best)

Juice of ½ lemon

2 sprigs fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried

½ teaspoon freshly ground fennel seeds

Sheet tray big enough to hold potatoes and apples

Parchment or aluminum foil

      1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line sheet tray with parchment or foil.

      2. In a large bowl, toss red potatoes generously with some olive oil, salt, sage, and paprika.

      3. Lay potatoes, cut side down, on the foil or parchment lined sheet tray. Place in the oven and roast until they are soft and golden, 30-35 minutes.

      4. Core apples and cut them in half. (Or quarters if you'd like them bite size.) Toss the apples with the lemon juice, a little olive oil, salt, rosemary, and ground fennel. Lay them out on the sheet tray (or another smaller one), cut side down and place in the oven during the last 15 minutes of the cooking time for the potatoes.

Note: Want to make it more fall-ish? Substitute 1/2 pound peeled sweet potatoes for the red and add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne to the potatoes. Get rid of the fennel and rosemary on the apples. Roast them up the same, then scoop the apples out of their skin and mash them into the sweet potatoes. Leave it a bit chunky, and viola--mashed sidekick.

 

More to follow later in the week. And I'll have pictures of the chicken Thursday. I haven't even touched on the good Doctor's favorite drink. But remember, this is 1920s and prohibition's still out there. If the cops ask, the giggle water didn't come from this dame, see?