Resident Evil Village: How To Cook

While you might think you're too busy dodging vampires and evading werewolves to sit down for a light "bite" in Resident Evil Village, Capcom's latest entry still manages to send players into the kitchen. Once again picking up with the tormented Ethan Winters, Village throws players into a gothic locale that's populated by a whole troupe of Universal's Classic Monsters-inspired characters. Even for the long-running Resident Evil series, it's a little out there. Trust us though, it all comes together in the end.

As a love letter to previous games, Village sees the return of a limited inventory, the use of herbs, and a modernised version of Resident Evil 4's Merchant in the form of the Duke. This jolly fellow is here to help Ethan navigate the nightmarish realm and genuinely seems invested in helping you out (for a price). Although fans will probably dash for bigger luggage, an improved shotgun reload, or more ammo for their sniper rifle, the Duke also has a whole cookbook of recipes to check out.

• Related: Resident Evil Village Review: Lycan Or Lump It?

Why should you cook in Resident Evil Village?

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Much like permanent improvements to your weapons, cooking recipes in Village can seriously boost Ethan's abilities. Some of us might discard cooking as a waste of time when there are the Four Lords to hunt down and eradicate, but in terms of making your mission easier, we suggest you stick a chef's hat on Ethan and whip up a feast. Hunting animals in Village is relatively easy, and thankfully, there aren't many out there. Below is a list of the animals that populate the titular village and what they yield.

Ram: Meat (x2)

Pig: Meat (x2)

Chicken: Poultry (x1)

Fish: Fish (x1)

Catfish: Fish (x2)

There are also three "rare" animals that provide Juicy Game, Quality Meat, and Finest Fish. Juicy Game is obtained from a blue bird near the Maiden of War statue in the centre of the village, Quality Meat is from the giant white pig behind the shack at Luisa's House, and the Finest Fish is found in the river once you've got the crank from Moreau. 

Don't worry, the catfish found in the water aren't mutated salamanders like the Del Lago in Resident Evil 4, but be warned, Ethan can be taken out by an angry ram that wants to gore him with its horns. Collecting that precious meat is all well and good - as long as you don't want to do a vegetarian speedrun - but just like in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - you'll probably want to know what goes with what. There's no use blindly chucking some ingredients in a pot and wasting your resources. 

Resident Evil Village recipes

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Remember that ingredients take up much-needed space in your inventory. Don't go around killing every animal in one go, only to end up with a suitcase stuffed with spoiled meat and no room for your arsenal of weaponry. Once you've collected what you need, locate one of the Duke's carts dotted around the land and head to the Duke's Kitchen. Below, we've got all the recipes and what permanent boosts you'll get for these culinary delights.

Herbed Fish: slightly increases health

3 x Fish
2 x Poultry

Bird and Beef Pilaf: decreases damage taken when guarding

4 x Poultry
1 x Meat

Three Flavored Mititrei: increases health

4 x Fish
2 x Poultry
3 x Meat

Tochitura de Pui: massively increases health

4 x Poultry
3 x Meat
1 x Juicy Game

Ciorba de Peste: massively reduces damage taken when guarding

1 x Fish
5 x Meat
1 x Quality Meat

Sarmale de Peste: increases Ethan's movement speed

6 x Fish
1 x Finest Fish 
 

We'd also like to give a special mention to the Otto's Mill location, which has an abattoir packed with meat. Gaining access is a little tricky because you'll have to take out the giant Urias Drac that swings a hammer like in the very first part of the game. He can also spawn flying gargoyles called Samcas, so it's not the easiest of battles. If you want to become the next Masterchef, getting into the abattoir can save some serious time. 

Hunting animals might seem like a faff when you're being hunted yourself, but for later playthroughs, when you're clambering to reach 100% completion and nab every trophy, you'll thank us. All there's left to say is fill your bellies and ready, steady, cook.

Images via Capcom