Prancing Pony Mushroom and Potato Stew (2 portions)
Hello fellow Hobbits. If you have ever wanted to meet a lone strider on a rainy night at the Prancing Pony, then this recipe will take you there! Bonus: you can enjoy this without your enemy desperately trying to kill you to get the One Ring (obsessive much?)
For this recipe you will need:
- 15-20 small potatoes (highly recommend the ones from The Little Potato Company)
- Half a box of mushrooms or a whole one if you are using one variety
- 8/10 King Oyster Mushrooms
- Shallots and garlic
- Vegetable broth
- Butter and flour
- Bay leaves
- Green onions and parsley
Begin by sweating down your preferred quantity of shallots and garlic in a pot with butter. Once they are done, add in your finely sliced mushrooms to cook them through. Meanwhile, cut your potatoes and green onions into small squares. Add them to the pot when the mushrooms are cooked, along with salt, pepper, and two bay leaves. Cover with a mixture of broth and water and bring to a boil. Let that simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, make a roux by melting your butter in a pan and adding flour. A paste should form. Once your potatoes are cooked through, add your roux to the stew. The roux will add a rich and creamy texture to the stew while retaining the texture of the veggies. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley upon serving and you will have just made yourself a delicious meal! You will also have demonstrated one of the many dishes you can make with potatoes to your weird Middle Earth guide, Gollum (who keeps talking about his precious for some reason).
The Fellowship’s Special Cocoa
Nothing is better than a hot chocolate when you are feeling down or need some cheering up. If you “lose” your dear friend to a Balrog, your companions to a pack of orcs, your ring bearer to a scary spider’s stinger, or if you need to be there for your friend’s claim to the throne of Gondor, this drink will save the day. So trust me, the Fellowship has drank liters of this hot chocolate.
For this recipe you will need:
- A can of whipped cream
- Milk
- Dark chocolate or cocoa powder
- Marshmallows
Begin by heating up your milk over the stove. Once your milk is warm, you can add your chocolate squares to the pot. You can use cocoa powder if you do not have a chocolate bar, but trust me – the melty chocolate makes such a difference. While your chocolate is melting, grate some chocolate to make flakes. Once your chocolate and the milk are well-mixed together, you can transfer your drink to a mug. Garnish your hot chocolate with a lot of whipped cream for a truly decadent experience. Add your chocolate flakes or cocoa powder on top of the whipped cream. Add a marshmallow and a chocolate square for a pretty and delish hot chocolate. This drink is perfect to make yourself a sweet treat and cheer you up. I highly recommend drinking this while watching The Two Towers as you will be so busy relishing in the experience, you won’t have time to tell your friends that Viggo Mortensen broke his toe kicking the helmet!