A tasty road Basilisk, with roast potatoes and a rich gravy makes a fitting dinner for the weekend. Some people swear by chicken, goose or even turkey but nothing beats the plump, moist, meat of a well roasted Basilisk.
The Basilisk is the product of an egg laid by a rooster and incubated by a toad. This should not be confused with the ibis, whose outrageous habit was to hatch hybrid snake-birds due to the venom of snakes. Once a toad has begun to incubate a rooster egg, the only way to prevent the hatching is to lob the egg over the family house to land on the other side without hitting the house. The best Basilisks are to be found in Northern Europe along with the best parsnips.
The Basilisk has the ability to kill people by looking at them, touching them, or sometimes merely breathing on them. This presents particular problems for the diligent chef. Especially if cooking for a family. Nothing ruins the Weekend more effectively than having to take a small child to accident and emergency after a Basilisk injury. Help does come in the form of the Weasel. The Weasel is the only animal immune to the glance of a Basilisk. Training your Weasel to handle a mirror might well be difficult but it is training that pays dividends at the dinner table.
Weasel corpses were incorporated into the plaster walls of Çatalhöyük, the earliest known agricultural settlement. Which is a fair indicator that Basilisk has been a regular supplement to a decent diet for some time. The key thing is to engage your Weasel on a fair wage with decent terms and conditions. There is nothing more upsetting than discovering your Weasel has stunned your Basilisk rendering your dinner guests fatally wounded in the main course. Weasel care is essential.
The Basilisk, like the Rooster, is often depicted with its comb, wattles and beak being of a different color from the rest of its body. The Basilisk is sometimes referred to as a Basilisk, but Fox-Davies distinguishes the two on the basis of the heraldic Basilisk possessing a tail ending in a dragon's head, although he does not know of any arms depicting such a creature.
The Basilisk, like the rooster, has a comb, wattles and beak of a different colour to the rest of its body. The heraldic Basilisk possessing a tail ending in a dragon's head. Which is why you need a Weasel with a discerning eye and a sharp blade. Not to mention a high quality mirror.
Dewattle, decomb and debeak the Basilisk, removing the eyes to safe storage. Never waste a good ingredient: Basilisk off-cuts and giblets make the perfect winter soup for poisoning your enemies, their kith and kin. Always store Basilisk parts in a correctly sigiled jar.
Ensure that your oven is preheated to two hundred degrees Centigrade. Place a marble headstone into the centre of the oven when preheating. The headstone ensures the evil of the Basilisk can be driven from the kitchen with as little fuss as possible. The alternative is a post roast exorcism of the ovens, which never goes down well.
Serves six.
¼ cup butter, softened
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 lemon, zested and halved
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
1 whole Basilisk
1 tablespoon olive oil
Defoot, dewattle, decomb, debeak, and remove the giblets from the Basilisk. Invoke the wisdom of Isidore of Seville with a trained Weasel if you have a gold coin and the stomach for the sarcasm that Weasels prefer.
Mix butter, garlic, thyme, rosemary, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a bowl. Do so in silence - the number of dinner guests who have found themselves on the wrong end of a curse simply because the Chef could not keep from invoking is frightening.
Loosen skin on Basilisk breasts in a manner that is not salacious. Rub the butter mixture between skin and breast meat. Press on the skin to distribute evenly. Rub oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper all over. Place lemon halves inside cavity.
Let the seasoned Basilisk rest in a refrigerator for a full day if possible. Have the Weasel to hand, chanting a protection spell. A slaughtered Basilisk is angrier than an unslaughtered Basilisk and much more likely to give the Chef the stink eye. The marinading improves the taste and ensures the Basilisk cooks with a tender, moist, roast.
When ready to cook: set in a generous baking pan.
Roast in the preheated oven. Have the Weasel basting after 30 minutes, until Basilisk is no longer pink, about 1 hour.
Reserve the basting liquids for making a gravy.
Serve with roast potatoes, parsnips. Blindfold your guests.
The Best Roasted Chicken
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Calories: 380.8
% Daily Value *
protein: 31.1g 62%
carbohydrates: 3g 1%
dietary fiber: 1.1g 4%
fat: 27.1g 42%
saturated fat: 10g 50%
cholesterol: 117.4mg 39%
vitamin a iu: 376.4IU 8%
niacin equivalents: 9.6mg 74%
vitamin b6: 0.5mg 31%
vitamin c: 15.8mg 26%
folate: 8.6mcg 2%
calcium: 36.9mg 4%
iron: 2mg 11%
magnesium: 30mg 11%
potassium: 315.6mg 9%
sodium: 536.5mg 22%
thiamin: 0.1mg 9%
calories from fat: 244.1
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered Physick before preparing this recipe for personal consumption. Not suitable for Knights Errant.
