Tales of Arise is a very different game from the other “Tales of” games I’ve played over the years. The “Tales of” series is how Jeff and I became friends in college. We played a lot of Tales of Symphonia together. Throughout the years, we’ve played each of the games together with friends coming over for long weekend play sessions. Tales of Arise removed the multiplayer aspect of the game and that is one of the major reasons we’ve taken our time getting to this one. I’ve been enjoying watching Jeff play through the game. The characters are all very interesting and the flashy combat is mesmerizing to watch. Jeff’ll switch characters around, do cool combos, all while making sure the AI stands in the right spot. All of this makes for a very active gameplay experience and makes me even sadder that there is no multiplayer.
The story starts off with Alphen and Shionne targeting the Five Lords on Dahna. As the adventure pushes forward, your party grows and so does your recipe list. Cooking has always been a major mechanic in this series and I’m happy they have continued this. All of the food in this game is just gorgeously rendered and many of the items include a small little story piece.
This week, we are going to whip up one of Alphen’s specialties. Alphen is unable to feel any pain and this translates a bit into the cooking. He likes his food to be extra seasoned and spicy so he can enjoy the intense flavors. When preparing this roast chicken, is it important to go in with an extra heavy hand with the ground pepper. Just make sure to not overdo it like Alphen does; you don’t want others to think you are burning the roast chicken.
1 whole chicken
1 whole garlic, cut in half
3 sprigs rosemary
1 lb yukon gold potatoes, quartered
1 fennel bulb, sliced
3 shallots, sliced
kosher salt
ground black pepper
The night before you plan on cooking the chicken, take it out of its packaging and remove all the extra bits inside the cavity. Prepare a baking sheet with a paper towel layer. Place the chicken on top of the paper towel. Generously salt the entire chicken, outside and inside. Put the chicken in the refrigerator, uncovered, for at least 18 hours.
Take the chicken out of the refrigerator. Use the paper towel to clean up any liquid or blood that might have ended up on the pan while it rested. Preheat an oven to 375°F.
Place the potatoes, fennel, and shallots in a large bowl with olive oil. Toss until all the vegetables are coated. Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil and nonstick spray. Transfer the oiled vegetables on the baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.
Fill the cavity of the chicken with the garlic and rosemary. Heavily season the chicken with black pepper. Place, breast side up, on top of the vegetables.
Bake for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until the internal temperature reads 165°F. Remove from the oven and cover with aluminum foil. Let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting to serve.
Roast Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 1 whole garlic cut in half
- 3 sprigs rosemary
- 1 lb yukon gold potatoes quartered
- 1 fennel bulb sliced
- 3 shallots sliced
- kosher salt
- ground black pepper
Instructions
- The night before you plan on cooking the chicken, take it out of its packaging and remove all the extra bits inside the cavity. Prepare a baking sheet with a paper towel layer. Place the chicken on top of the paper towel. Generously salt the entire chicken, outside and inside. Put the chicken in the refrigerator, uncovered, for at least 18 hours.
- Take the chicken out of the refrigerator. Use the paper towel to clean up any liquid or blood that might have ended up on the pan while it rested. Preheat an oven to 375°F.
- Place the potatoes, fennel, and shallots in a large bowl with olive oil. Toss until all the vegetables are coated. Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil and nonstick spray. Transfer the oiled vegetables on the baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.
- Fill the cavity of the chicken with the garlic and rosemary. Heavily season the chicken with black pepper. Place, breast side up, on top of the vegetables.
- Bake for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until the internal temperature reads 165°F. Remove from the oven and cover with aluminum foil. Let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting to serve.