There is one recipe in TALES OF THE SHIRE that stands out more than all others: the Bywater Dish! In the game, the hobbits of Bywater must come up with a village dish, something that sums up the “flavours and heart” of their village. After talking to lots of villagers to determine what should be in the dish, it’s decided that you should make something with Mr. Sandyman’s flour, Young Tom Cotton’s cream, mushrooms, fish, and hearty vegetables. Since there are loads of different mushrooms, fish, and vegetables in the game, you can make the dish a little differently each time, depending on what the villagers are craving and what you have in your pantry.

For the mushrooms in my Bywater Dish, I decided to go with shimeji and hen of the woods mushrooms. Hen of the woods has a similar profile to the in-game mushrooms called wild beef, and the shimeji reminded me of the field ring mushrooms you can find in the fields around Bywater. In the future, I’d love to try it with morels or chanterelles when they’re in season!

For my fish, I went with catfish, since all the fish in-game are freshwater fish, and there’s an in-game fish called a “little beard” that has catfish-like whiskers. For my hearty vegetable, you know I had to go with taters—namely baby red potatoes, or “ruby taters” as they’re known in TALES OF THE SHIRE. I also threw in some rosemary and lemon, since those are available seasonings in-game.

If you look closely at the top of the pie’s thumbnail photo from the game, you can see see the design of a tree on top, so I made a little puff pastry tree to adorn the top of my Bywater Dish (though I think next time I’ll make it smaller—the branches kind of disappear into each other at the top of the pie!).

This savory, creamy, hearty dish is truly a taste of Bywater, a village surrounded by fish-filled rivers, mushroom-studded woods, and the most welcoming of hobbits. Pull up a chair, grab a fork, and dig in with the citizens of Bywater!

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The Bywater Dish

“It truly is all the flavours and heart of Bywater. The buttery pastry is almost enough to leave you with fondness for Sandyman. Almost.”

— Tales of the Shire

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

Makes 1 8-inch Bywater Dish

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Add oil to a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt over the fish and sear on both sides for 3 minutes or until golden. Remove to a plate and set aside. Wipe out the pan.
2. Add remaining oil to the pan and place over medium-low heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and cook for 2 minutes or until translucent, stirring regularly. Add the potatoes and mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes, continuing to stir.
3. Stir in the lemon zest, rosemary, remaining 1/4 tsp salt, and pepper. Add flour, stirring for 1 minute until pasty.
4. Increase heat to medium. Gradually stir in chicken broth. Bring to a simmer, then cook for 1 more minute. Gradually stir in the heavy cream. Stir in the prepared fish (lift the fish from the plate rather than scraping it in, to avoid adding excess oil). Remove from heat.
5. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry until it is a 10-inch square. Place a 8-inch (2.5-quart) oven-safe bowl upside down over the puff pastry and cut around the edge of the bowl. Remove the bowl and transfer the filling to it. Place the pastry circle on top.
6. Roll out the second sheet of puff pastry and cut into a 6-inch tree, complete with twisting roots and branches. Cut out 9 1-inch leaf shapes. Whisk together the egg and water and brush it over the pastry circle. Add the tree on top and arrange the leaves in groups of 3 as desired. Brush egg wash over the shapes. Prick the top of the pie several times with a fork.
   
   

   

   

   

7. Place pie on a baking sheet and bake for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown on top. Allow to rest on the pan for 10 minutes before serving.
8. Serve during afternoon tea in your hobbit hole!
   

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If you like this TALES OF THE SHIRE recipe,
you can check out my recipe for Raised Cheese Bread!