A mysterious figure known only as the Culinomancer is a widely travelled individual of renowned skill. Their stated purpose? To create delicious and magical food from every known monster that can be considered edible.
The Culinomancer’s collected writings are popular among a certain niche group of adventurers. Some are interested in the magical benefits such dishes provide. Others are fringe epicureans, seeking pleasure in devouring the rarest, most exotic, and even dangerous food. Whoever this Culinomancer may be, they know their craft. The recipes are powerful aids to adventures, and typically very tasty.
In this installment, the Culinamancer showcases the magic needed to coax the special qualities of lindwurm meat to life. The lindwurm (see Tome of Beasts 1) is a fearsome hunter of cold, northern waters. While not the mightiest dragon, it is a deadly predator. And if defeated, their flesh makes for a wondrous meal, given the proper treatment.
Lindwurm, warmed over fire
It took me some time to find the proper way to draw the magical properties of lindwurm flesh out of a meal. It was quite the conundrum. They are dragons. All dragons by nature are magical. Yet I couldn’t discern just how to bring forth the qualities I searched for.
A marinade was obviously necessary; that much I knew about working with dragon meat. However, I just wasn’t able to tease the power out of the meat and into the meal. I even tried serving it raw, thinking that perhaps cooking was bleeding out the inherent magic. (I do not recommend this even for mundane preparations. it was awful!) Slow-cooking until the meat fell apart worked no better, nor did roasting or stewing.
Finally, I hit on the answer: fire. Not just roasting or stewing. I needed high heat. A kiss of flame. These are creatures of the cold. A touch of fire unlocked what I was looking for, just enough to ignite the magic and set it free. The rest is history.
New Magic Item: FIRE-KISSED MARINATED LINDWURM
Potion, Rare 2,000 gp
These thin strips of lindwurm meat have been marinated in a sweet-hot, savory marinade and grilled over an open flame. When you eat this meal, you gain resistance to cold damage and advantage on saves or checks against any effects that cause exhaustion for the next 8 hours. As a bonus action, you can enact the magic of the meal to remove all levels of exhaustion from yourself. This uses all the remaining power of the meal and ends its other benefits.
Fire-Kissed Marianted Lindwurm Substitute* (Bulgogi)
In the event that you’ve been spending more effort on downtime than adventuring, this recipe approximates the flavors and mouthfeel of a linwurm.
Ingredients
Preparation and Cooking
1. Slice your beef into pieces about 1/8 inch thick.
2. Mix the soy sauce, sesame oil and seeds, gochujang, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, and green onions in a large glass bowl, making sure the brown sugar is completely dissolved. Add water and stir until combined.
3. Add in the beef and toss until each piece is completely coated in the marinade. Marinate, refrigerated, for at least 3 hours. (Overnight is best.)
4. Heat your grill and brush the grate with vegetable oil. If you’re using a stovetop, use a skillet, add the oil, and heat over medium-high heat. Add the meat to the grill or pan in a single layer, cooking for about 2 minutes (3 minutes at the most) and flipping the meat about halfway through. If you get a little char around the edges, that’s the best. In a pan, cook the meat in batches to ensure you have a single layer of meat, with full contact on the cooking surface.
4a. You can discard the marinade, or put it in a saucepan, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until slightly reduced and thickened, to use as a sauce for your bulgogi or over accompanying rice.
5. Garnish with more sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Serve with rice, kimchi, green salad, and/or other traditional Korean side dishes.
*Note: While approximating the taste, texture, and appearance of lindwurm, this alternate recipe is not purported to grant any magical effects. A full tummy and satisfied tastebuds should be expected, of course.
Read more at this site