Cosplay in the Kitchen: #PokeNOM Glazed Pidgey

Welcome back friends, to my third and final recipe for #PokeNOM!

For those unaware, my fandom food blogger friends and I wrote and compiled Pokémon-themed recipes, shared them under the hashtag #PokeNOM, and linked them up in one post for your convenience. Click here for our other creations!

So I was thinking what better way to finish out this month than to bring a Pokémon trainer cosplayer into my kitchen? Today I want to re-introduce you to my good friend, Daniel Roach. You might recognize him as Ash Kill’um from my El Macho’s Secret Salsa post.

Daniel told me that this was an epic, throw-together-at-the-last-minute cosplay inspired by the following concept:

The second great Pokemon war breaks out upon the land. Trainers unwillingly turn into soldiers and Ash Ketchum finds himself serving under Lieutenant Surge it the penultimate battle: the destruction of Cerulean City. Everyone Ash Ketchum loves – Misty, Brock, Pikachu – die horribly in the onslaught. Ash loses his mind in the bloody wake. Now he’s desperate to stop the war, and the only way to do so is to take away the weapons. He must destroy all the pokémon. He’s gotta kill ’em all.

While I don’t exactly condone the killing of pokémon for pure sport, I thought I would give Ash (and you) a chance to enjoy the spoils of war. That’s right, we’re finally cooking up that d@mn pidgey!

So let’s begin with Step one: Go outside and find yourself a Pidgey or two. This should only take about three minutes. They’re everywhere.

Step two: Catch that raspberry loving critter.

Daniel Roach as Post-Apocalyptic Ash Ketchum for some Cosplay in the Kitchen and Glazed Pidgey with The Gluttonous Geek.

Ash Kill’em

If catching proves difficult, procure yourself some Cornish Game Hens from the nearest market as they are comparable in size and flavor.

Ash Settle-for’em…

Step three: Make up a tasty stuffing of brown rice, toasted sesame seeds, and shiitake mushrooms. Stuff that pidgey substitute with it and roast in the oven.

Cook this Pokemon inspired recipe for Roast Pidgey (Cornish Game Hen) Stuffed with Brown Rice and Shiitake Mushroom, Glazed with a Raspberry-Sesame Sauce. Recipe by The Gluttonous Geek.

Ash Cook’em

Step four: That greedy blighter wants berries? Oh you’ll give him berries. Make up a glaze with raspberry preserves, green tea, ginger, and lemongrass. Baste that bird with it as it roasts for an evolved flavor.

Ash Glaze’em

Step five: Serve it up with some sesame oil sauteed asparagus and eat up!

Ash Eat’em.

So here it is, a meal actually worth catching a pidgey for.

Raspberry -Sesame Glazed Pidgey Surprise

Serves 4

Equipment: Stovetop, oven, roasting pan, two saucepans, skillet, pastry brush.

Ingredients

2 Cornish game hens, giblets removed and discarded
1 cup uncooked brown rice
2 cups water
1 chicken bouillion cube
1/4 pound shiitake mushrooms, diced
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
5 tablespoons sesame oil
1 cup strongly brewed green tea
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons raspberry preserves
1/2 tablespoon ginger paste
1/2 tablespoon lemongrass paste
1 lb fresh asparagus, ends trimmed
kosher salt

Instructions

Bring the saucepan with rice, water, and bouillon cube to a boil on one of the stove’s back burners. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and let rest another 10.
While rice is cooking, whisk raspberry preserves, green tea, ginger, lemongrass, pinch of kosher salt, and half a tablespoon of sesame oil in the other saucepan. Bring it to a boil on another burner and reduce for about 6-8 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit.
Dry-roast sesame seeds in a skillet until browned and set aside the contents in another dish. Pour two tablespoons of sesame oil into the skillet and cook mushrooms with a pinch or two of kosher salt. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
When softened, scrape the mushrooms into a mixing bowl. Add the cooked rice to the bowl with a tablespoon of roasted sesame seeds. Stir until incorporated fully.
Season the hens inside and out with kosher salt. Transfer 3/4 cup of rice mixture to a dish, then stuff it into one of the hen’s cavities using a separate spoon to avoid cross-contamination. Repeat with the other hen. Discard any unused rice that touched the hen or spoon used to stuff.
Place the hens on the rack in your roasting pan. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips under the birds’ backs.
Brush a layer of glaze on the skin and roast in the oven for 55 minutes to an hour, basting the birds with more glaze every 15 minutes.
During the last 15 minutes of roasting the birds, heat up the skillet again with the remainder of the sesame oil. Add the asparagus and a pinch of kosher salt. Saute, turning once with tongs to brown each side before distributing among your serving plates.
Remove roasting pan from the oven and let cool for 3-5 minutes. Heat up the bowl of remaining stuffing in the microwave on high for about 1 1/2 – 20 minutes, then stir and distribute.
Cut twine on hens and cut in half along the spine. Place a hen half on each plate and serve.