Cockatrice

An unholy matrimony of a chicken, a bat, and a lizard, the cockatrice is a beast most would hope to never see. But nature, or whatever created this thing, is not so kind, and sometimes we cross paths. Cockatrice are notorious for two things: their bad attitude and their ability to turn flesh to stone with their bite. This transformation can be healed with antidote distilled from the venom, or from some healing magics, but a group caught unawares can easily be surprised, petrified, and overwhelmed. These beasts are also absolutely vicious towards any monster larger than them. While they only eat smaller game, they are incredibly territorial, one adventurer I know swearing he even saw a cockatrice pick a fight with a dragon.

Thankfully however, if there is some merit to the creature’s pitiful existence, it's that it makes a variety of tasty dishes. While the cockatrice looks much more similar to a chicken, its flavor is closer to that of larger fowl such as turkey. The dark meat of the thighs is rich in flavor while the lighter meat of the breasts is light and fluffy when prepared correctly. The reptilian tail can be sliced into decently fatty chops depending on how well the cockatrice lived on smaller game. Those more adventurous eaters may also indulge in cockatrice feet, a similar flavor to chicken feet but much more complex and with a lot more meat on the bones. If it weren’t for their absolutely horrid attitude and deadly defense mechanism, cockatrice would be a worthwhile creature to breed for their immense culinary value, but alas cooks will just have to make the most of the few chances they do get to cook with the beast.

Whole Roast Cockatrice:

One of the truly difficult culinary tasks is that of roasting a whole cockatrice. Different parts of the cockatrice body are made out of very different meat, ranging from the white meat of the breasts, to the dark meat of the thighs, to the grainy reptilian meat of the tail and neck. Properly roasting a cockatrice whole without overcooking any of the individual parts is a hefty challenge that some chefs have used different techniques to circumvent. One popular technique is to remove the backbone to lay the cockatrice flat on the cooking sheet to allow for more even distribution of heat. Other cooks simply separate the cockatrice down into parts and cook each one separately before arranging back onto the serving tray. This is a foolproof method, but it does compromise some of the aesthetic value and “wow factor” of a whole roast cockatrice at the dinner table. My personal preference is spit-roasting, this slow methodical turning is definitely the most labor intensive, but good fire management allows choice over how much to cook each area. This is far from easy, but produces an amazing dish. No matter the method, a well cooked roast cockatrice is a great centerpiece and talking point that will be discussed again and again.