Proper Preparation of Bosmer Meat: A Simple Guide

By Maeorlin the Once-Sighted, Priest of Y’ffre and ameteur chef at Silvenar’s Greenhearth Inn

Y’ffre am saril uia, brothers and sisters! In this humble tome, I speak to all those who, like myself, still honor tradition in the borders of Valenwood. Although fallen out of favor in recent generations, the traila a sultara, the Treaty of Frond and Leaf, does not wax and wane with the political changes of the mundane world, whatever our more secular-minded cousins would tell you. No, the edicts of Y’ffre remain law until the last of the Bosmer vanishes from this land. Until that sad day, we faithful shall carry forward with our patron’s ideals, including what is often thought of as the gravest of all: “When an enemy is conquered, his flesh must be consumed.”

The proper way to consume the flesh of a fallen Bosmer foe, however, is never elaborated on in any text. Is the still-warm corpse of one’s opponent meant to be eaten raw, flecks of gore left to rot in-between the teeth of our modest adherent to the Treaty? Of course not! We are civilized mer, not barbarian cannibals. No, brothers and sisters, the meat and organs of a typical Bosmer warrior are filled with nutrients and flavor that, when expertly brought to the surface, can make the otherwise uncomfortable rite into an enjoyable family meal.

The Basics >First and foremost, every reader must be firmly aware of a cornerstone in the cooking of mer meat: Fat is incredibly scarce. A cut of Bosmer from the thigh, foreleg, bicep, or forearm will be severely lacking in excess fat, as will the ribcage. Aside from a few strands of white veins deep within the meat, you will be hard pressed to locate a single meaningful deposit of fatty flesh. To compensate, this author humbly suggests that the aspiring cook boil their selected cut of flesh alongside a fat deposit from a preferred livestock animal - cow, boar, guar, and the like, roughly 1/3rd the weight of the meat itself. This ought to be done for half an hour until the juices are allowed to fully intermingle.

>Following this, your Bosmer meat cut must be properly seasoned. Due to some mystery of Y’ffre’s design, salting a properly skinned and flayed cut of meat will have little to no effect, as the salt will roll off the tightly-wound muscle rather than sink in to add flavor. Boiling the meat beforehand will help loosen the muscular tissue, however added heat will be necessary to penetrate your meal with even the heaviest of spices and seasonings. Magickally-enhanced ovens and cooking fires will be tremendously helpful during this process.

>Several ingredients go well with Bosmer, among them chopped garlic, elves’ ear, and thinly-sliced scalandil mushrooms. Garlic, in particular, can either be stirred together with sliced meat in a stew pot or slipped into cuts within the full chunk - whichever suits your preferred recipe. Just remember to always import all Green ingredients from Cyrodiil or Alinor - never collect from the forests of Y’ffre.

Ideal Recipes >And on that note, you’re probably wondering “How many different ways can I prepare my Bosmer?” More ways than you might think, dear readers! Bosmer meat is tough and tightly-wound, but once properly prepared, it is suited to a wide variety of presentations. Among the most popular (and delicious!) are:

>Bosmeri an Juliar

>This delicacy was once extraordinarily popular in the mid-First Era, specifically in the region surrounding my home city of Silvenar. The Bosmer cut, typically a less-muscular portion off the upper thigh, is thinly diced into cubes, slowly roasted over a magickal fire for precisely twenty minutes, and seasoned with crushed elves’ ear. The meat cubes are then tossed in a sauce mixture of goat’s milk and crushed tomato, allowed to simmer over a mundane fire for half an hour, and sprinkled with salt for flavoring.

>Bosmer Filet

>A simple meal, typically taken from a thick bicep cut, Bosmer filet is prepared by slicing a half-dozen small cuts into the meat with a solid Elven dagger, into which chopped garlic is stuffed and sewn into place. The filet is cooked in a cast iron skillet over a mundane fire for twenty-five to thirty-five minutes, depending on how deep the chef wishes to cook their meat. The resulting filet is tender and able to be cut into portions; it is best served with potatoes, mushrooms, and steamed young krellfish (if available).

>Bosmer Ribs

>For those inclined toward a more casual meal, a simple rack of Bosmer ribs might be for you. In order to tenderize the rib meat, first rotate the cooking spit over a magickal fire for one hour, then continue to cook over a mundane fire for an additional twenty minutes. The ribs may then be coated in a mixture of elves’ ear and dried pepper spices, ideally combined with a garlic and mushroom salve that will allow the herbs to stick and settle into the meat. Pull each rib apart and serve with an assorted medley of vegetables - ideally carrots, tomatoes, and red onions.

>Heart of the Treefolk

>This lighthearted dish takes the literal heart, along with other internal organs such as the liver, and combines them into a delectable treat. Bosmer liver is very easy to dice into thin cubes, whereas the tougher heart ought to be cut in halves or thin strips and made the centerpiece. Cook the heart in a cast iron skillet over a magickal fire for thirty minutes, while the liver, gallbladder, and kidneys are all diced and sauted over a mundane fire for the same amount of time. Season the diced side dish with chopped garlic and onion and sprinkle sea salt over the cooked meat of the heart; then, simply pile the diced cubes onto a plate, place the heart slices atop them tastefully, and drizzle a puree of flour and the leftover juices from the sauted organs over the meal. No additional ingredients required!

Companion Pieces >Most Cyrodilic red wines pair quite suitably with any Bosmer meat dish, notably Arbor Red or Surilie Brothers’ 4E 117 vintage. For the casually inclined, simple wood ale or even imported Nordic mead would be a fair companion to a rack of Bosmer ribs.

And there you have it, brothers and sisters! Let this be a guide to those humble followers of the Green God who, for whatever reason, find the task of eating their own brethren to be a daunting or unpleasant one. As you can see, the proper preparation of Bosmer meat is not only straightforward and simple when one knows what one is doing - it also yields great rewards in both spiritual fortitude and great taste!