Basilisk
At first glance, this monster seems to just be a lizard with a few extra legs and a strong jaw. The problem is that a first glance is all you get before you feel your feet become heavier, your legs just won’t move, and then inch by inch you look down to see the stone creeping up your body as you become petrified, literally. Remember, the 4th rule of Dungeon Survival: “No one carves statues of frightened warriors”.
These beasts can be found in a variety of places. They are incredibly durable and adaptable to different environments. Whether in arid, tropical, or temperate climates, you will primarily find them in caverns or underground. They don’t hunt in a standard manner, whether by chasing down their prey with speed, or by using their stealthiness to get a drop on their targets, they simply lumber around waiting for something to look at and turn to stone. Once their target is fully petrified, they use their strong jaws to crush the stone, which then reverts to organic matter once it reaches their stomach.
So once again we get to the 2 recurring questions in these writeups. First: you can eat this?! Second: How? Let’s go through exactly why it’s worth eating these, and how to prepare them.
Butchering this beast is rather straightforward, just make sure you have a sharp, durable blade. Basilisk hide is incredibly tough, a good boon for some rangers who use armor made from it, but also a pain in the rear for the poor chef trying to cut it open in the first place. It is also worth separating the throat and digestive system. While they do not have too much culinary merit, the basilisk has a pouch that secretes an oil that removes the petrification effect from its victims. This oil can be used by alchemists to create potions with the same effect, a huge boon for any adventurer who’s buddy forgot to close their eyes.
The meat itself is quite interesting when it comes to taste, somewhere between the odor of fish and the taste of chicken, yet it is a red meat. These peculiar attributes lend to a rather unique dining experience, with some pros and cons compared to other meats. The meat is quite lean and low in fat, so this is important to keep in mind when cooking as it is easy to overcook and dry it out.
The meat of the basilisk is often separated into cuts of loin, tail, and leg meat. The loin meat is the easiest to work with and has higher fat content than the other cuts. That being said, it is still rather lean and easy to overcook so keep that in mind if you separate it into steaks for grilling. Always grill this meat a bit under, aiming for a medium rare, then slice against the grain when serving. Aside from grilling, basilisk meat actually is perfect for frying. Simply slice it up into smaller pieces and dredge them in flour, then add to hot oil. Some of the best Popcorn Basilisk that I’ve had comes from Deep Gnome kitchens in Blingdenstone. In my opinion, this is by far the best usage of Basilisk meat, but to be fair, saying “fried meat is good” is far from a controversial statement.
The leg meat is very flavorful, and much more intense than the loin. It can be a bit of a pain to separate from the bones, so it is often cooked bone-in, and either fried, baked or roasted. This leads to something rather similar to a large chicken wing, and is sometimes called “basilisk wings” as a joke. It can then be tossed in sauces, or served just tossed in a dry coating of spices. While Basilisk is far from a common meat, it’s not too unusual to see these served in a tavern next to a large pint of beer.
The tail meat is riddled with small pin bones which makes it difficult to slice this up before cooking, so it is best to cook the tail whole, then separate the meat after and pick out any bones. The tail does well poached or cooked in other liquids, after which the meat can be shredded and recombined with the soup, bone free. This shredded meat can also be separated then tossed in sauces or spices. This seasoned meat is then put into sandwiches, onto flatbreads, or even tossed with vegetables into salads. One of the best usages I saw was when separating this lean tail meat, then submerging it in duck or cockatrice fat and cooking it in a confit style. The lean tail meat takes on a lot of flavor poaching in the fat, and crisps up perfectly.
Some cooks also just use the tail whole for stocks then throw it out as the meat has lost most of its flavor. This is a good method for extracting the gelatin in it, and it can lend to unctuous, viscous stocks that are the best marriage between a chicken soup and a seafood boil. I highly recommend this usage for an otherwise finicky piece of meat.
Regardless of the way you cook it, as long as you realize its limitations, you can lean into the strengths of a truly unique ingredient. It is far from as malleable and easy to use as chicken or beef, but the interesting flavors and textures this can lend to a dish make it a worthwhile tool in any proficient chef’s belt.
Example Recipe - Popcorn Basilisk
Popcorn basilisk is a favorite for taverns that get their hold on Basilisk meat due to the simplicity of preparation, ability to be batch cooked, and the age-old pairing of greasy meat and cold beer.
To make the popcorn basilisk, take the loin meat, and cut it into about 2 inch cubes. Take the meat and dredge it in well-seasoned flour. I often season my flour with paprika, pulverized dried garlic, pulverize dried onion, cumin, and a lot of pepper, both peppercorn and cayenne. The more spicy these are, the better. Feel free to use whatever spices you’d like.
After they are dredged in flour, dip them in beaten egg to coat, then return them to the flour for a second coat. To make this process easier, I divide the flour into 2 bowls and put the eggs in one, then just move the meat through bowl by bowl.
Once this meat is coated in the flour and egg, get your oil nice and hot. Drop the meat into the oil and let it cook until it floats to the top, then remove it and drain the excess oil on a wire rack. Salt them while they are hot and serve!
Example Recipe - Confit Basilisk Tail
For this recipe, first get a pot full of water to a boil then drop it to a simmer. Add the basilisk tail and allow it to simmer for about 15 minutes. As basilisks have quite long tails, this tail can be separated into sections before cooking, just try to keep the sections similar in size.
This first cook is not to cook the meat all the way through, but just to remove some of the impurities in the tail meat. You should see a lot of scum float to the top. After these 15 minutes, drain the water, and then add lard to the hot pot for it to melt and warm up. We will be poaching the tail in this fat until it cooks through fully. Keep the heat low, its shouldn’t be frying, and the meat should be completely submerged. This will take about 2 to 3 hours depending on the thickness of the tail pieces.
At this point, the meat should easily flake off the bone. Pull the meat off and remove all the bones. Then, take some of the cooking lard and put it in a pan or baking sheet. Then add the meat to the oil, and place on high heat or in a hot oven for 5 minutes. This final step will crisp up the tender meat, creating the perfect balance of crispy golden crunchiness, and melt in your mouth tenderness as you bite through. Just make sure to season generously with salt right after you remove it from the heat.
Serve on flat breads with sauce, or even just on its own with a myriad of dishes that compliment its amazing flavor.
Bonus Recipe - Basilisk Tail Stock
While this isn’t a recipe I would normally serve on its own, it is the definition of a “team player” recipe. While it is not the star of the show like Popcorn Basilisk or Tail Confit, it will bulk up any dish that incorporates it. While many may not be able to notice that its in a dish, if you serve that same dish without it, they’ll realize something is missing. And that missing ingredient is this perfectly unctuous, flavorful stock.
Making it is rather simple, chop up the basilisk tail into 5 inch sections, and add them to a pot of cold water. Bring it up to a boil and allow to boil for 10 minutes. Scum should be rising to the top, and when no more scum is coming out, drain the water, rinse the meat, and put back into the pot with fresh water. Bring to a boil again, this time with chopped carrots, celery, fennel, leeks, onions. Add in a head of garlic separated into cloves, peppercorns, and leaves of bay.
Once it reaches a boil, drop it to a simmer and allow the stock to cook for at least 8 hours, but I like to let it run for a full day. Add more water if it evaporates out too much. In the last hour, I like to add sweet herbs such as rosemary, thyme, and quicknettle. If you add them sooner, the flavors will just disappear so do it at the end. Finally, drain the stock into a seperate container and discard all the flavoring agents.
You will end up with a thick, gelatinous stock, perfect for any soup or stew. Honestly, use this thing however you like. It's liquid gold, with a perfectly concentrated flavor that can really be added to a myriad of dishes. Try it out in the next risotto you make and then thank me later.