Oyster Brisket
"On it's lonesome it tastes..."empty," you could say. Takes a lot 'o work to make it good. At the end of the day, it's really soft leather with sauce."
In the city of Tazban, an abandoned land assimilated into the Augury, a form of food known as "Oyster Brisket" was created by the sparse frontiersmen. A rather simplistic meal, it is comprised of shucked oysters heavily compacted into a metal box, which is then heated all at once. Employees of the Augury are used to meals involving beef or pork, explaining the inclination towards calling the dish a "brisket."
Volcano Cooking
Given Tazban's close placement to a volcano, it is a local tradition to cook the slabs of oyster by placing their container within hot springs, where they rest over the course of a day. Not only is this a consistent way of cooking, but it also frees up time in the day, allowing the individual to take part on other duties in renovating the city.Layers
When cooking an oyster brisket, it's important to layer the oysters. Each level of oyster should avoid overlap, allowing room for expansion. This is generally considered the least important step, as it's mostly for aesthetic, however local chefs claim that it ensures heat will distribute evenly as well. This is particularly important with unreliable cooking methods, such as the hot springs.Layers
Between each layer of oysters, it is important to add your spices. Commonly used ingredients include salt, local peppercorns, as well as garlic extracts. This is typically added in excessive amount, as the citizens of the Augury have grown accustom to more spice variety. Fortunately, as the settlement continues proving its value, a wider variety has become available.Layers
The metal box containing the oysters is sealed after removing as much moister as possible. When the oysters are layered, 3-4 sheets of papyrus are placed on the top and bottom of the container, ensuring that any excess moisture is removed in the cooking process. This step typically isn't necessary when cooking quickly, but the slow process of the hot springs tends to trap moisture.
Post Cooking Preparation
After the long process of cooking the oyster meat, one may choose to let it further dry. While other cultures, such as those of Shellbay, the Snow Rock Isles, or Renad are content to eat wet oyster, most individuals of the inland Augury find it repulsive. Due to this, they attempt to make the meat as leathery as possible. Sauces are considered as crucial as spice when eating oyster brisket. The most commonly used is a mix of vinegar, pig's blood, ground mustard seeds, and egg yolk as an emulsifier. While pig's blood and egg yolk were initially difficult to come by in the early days of occupation, shipments of ducks and pigs have become normalized, with the intention of keeping hopes of the frontiersmen high.Consumption
These slabs of brisket are usually eaten communally, with household units (typically consisting of 8 workers) eating it with their fingers, tearing each leathery piece of meat as if it were smoked pork or beef. Each dry piece of oyster is then run through any variety of homemade sauces (typically poured directly upon the stone table). It is expected that no meat should be left by the end of the meal, and the table is to be wetted afterward to prevent pathogen growth. Households usually consume these slabs as the last meal of the day, and should something have gone wrong in the hot spring (such as aberrant temperatures or a broken seal on the holding container), a household may go a night without any dinner at all.All art generated with Midjourney*
All maps made with Inkarnate
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