Bird on a Wire, Rat in a Pocket - Episode 15

MARISHA: Unless we think we can make some money along the way, kill two birds with one stone and maybe escort a caravan.
SAM: You could kill birds for money?
MARISHA: Do you enjoy killing birds?
SAM: I don't care for birds.
MARISHA: You don't care for birds?
SAM: I don't.
TRAVIS: Oh really?
LAURA: Like the only thing I've ever heard of that you don't like.
SAM: Oh.
TRAVIS: Is there a reason why?
SAM: Yeah.
TALIESIN: You don't have to get into it right now.
MARISHA: (as Pâté) "There is a reason why I'm wearing one of their heads."
SAM: Sorry, I thought that was a bird for a second.
MARISHA: "But you know. Bird in the head, rat in the body. You know what I'm saying?"
SAM: I haven't heard that phrase. That's a good one, I'll remember it. Bird in the head, rat in the body?
MATT: "Mm-hmm."
TALIESIN: Hmm.
SAM: Hmm, that's like a metaphor.
TALIESIN: Classic.
LAURA: I've never heard you say that before, ever.
SAM: Bird in the--
MARISHA: It was Pâté, I don't know. They've got weird dead animal sayings.
--LATER--
SAM: Bird in the head, rat in the body, right?
MATT: (Gus) "Is that a euphemism?"
SAM: Confidence.
TRAVIS: That's the phrase.
MATT: "Okay."
LAURA: Do you want to know what he is thinking?
MATT: "I know what he's thinking." With that, Gus walks into the doorway. Olly follows behind, giving a quick hand motion. As you all follow suit, entering the entranceway here into the Underrush Mines--
MARISHA: (Pâté) "FCG!"
SAM: Yes?
MARISHA: "I might've steered you wrong there. I remembered the phrase. I got it wrong."
SAM: What's the real phrase?
MARISHA: "I'm a bird in the beak, but a rat in the sheets."
SAM: That's a way better phrase.
MARISHA: "Sorry."
SAM: I'll keep that one in mind for next time.
MARISHA: "All right. But I like how you delivered it with confidence."
SAM: Sure, sure.
--EVEN LATER-- (see link below for this clip of the episode)
TRAVIS: We actually were hoping to get access to the mines by any means that you could provide.
ASHLEY: I'm going to go over and I'm going to slap Gus in the face. (laughter)
MATT: (impacts) "Oh!"
ASHLEY: I just thought...
MATT: "No, it's f--"
ASHLEY: Okay, just to get it out of the way.
MATT: "Really?"
MARISHA: Ogdes, did that make you feel better?
MATT: "Oh yeah. Hey, all the rest of you want to go in, you're welcome to."
SAM: No.
MATT: "I'm kidding. I'm kidding."
LIAM: Well, it's like you always say, bird on a wire, rat in a pocket. (laughter)
TALIESIN: That's so true. (laughter)
TRAVIS: Rat in a pocket?!
SAM: That it is, that it is.
ASHLEY: That is definitely a saying. I've heard that, too. (laughter)
MARISHA: Great, yes.
MATT: "I can--" (laughter)
TRAVIS: Rat in a pocket.

Campaign 3 Episode 15, "The Tunnels Below," March 3, 2022
Thanks to critrole.fandom.com for the transcript from the episode shown above.

Bird on a Wire, Rat in a Pocket

Flying like a bird and landing like a rat.

Easily the best running joke of the night. Marisha and Sam picked it up real early, and Liam was there to bring it home. This was a classic rule of 3's. And, honestly, anymore, if a joke doesn't have 3 parts, and stops at 2, for me, it feels incomplete. But this one was perfect. So perfect in fact that as soon as I heard it, I knew I had to figure something out. 

My partner had the idea for the kabobs, I had the idea for the pita pockets. Mix 'em together, and you get these pretty tasty, fairly easy-to-make sandwiches! I've used pita bread before and knew from experience that we were gonna need a sauce. So I found this nice tzatziki sauce recipe to go along with it, which also worked out to be pretty easy, and very tasty. This whole meal had a sort of Greek vibe goin' with it. 

Also, fun fact, kabobs can be a great meal for an adventuring party! You can use chicken, vegetables, and other kinds of meat for your kabobs, but the best part is everyone can make their own, and either eat it straight or in the Pita. But, enough talk, let's get into this pocket.

Ingredients

• Marinade for the Chicken:
• 3 Tablespoons Oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon Cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Pepper
• 5 cloves of garlic - minced
• 2 Tablespoons of Parsley - fresh and chopped
• 3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• Dash of chili flakes (maybe about 1/4 tsp)
• 1.5 to 2 pounds of chicken - breasts or thighs
• Tzatziki Sauce
• 1/2 half of a cucumber (with all the moister removed, see directions)
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 Tablespoon fresh dill
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 cup of plain greek yogurt
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Other Kabob ingredients 
• Fresh toppings 

   

Other than just chicken, on your kabobs, you'll probably want some other ingredients. Our extra ingredients aren't in the pictures, but we included chopped red onion and zucchini, Other good options might be tomatoes, bell peppers, or mushrooms (especially if you're vegetarian)! 

You'll also probably want some fresh toppings as well (aka some stuff that's not cooked). Here are some suggestions of complementary flavors:

• Tomatoes
• Avacado
• Cheese - probably Feta, but you do you, honestly
• Cucumber
• Raw red onion, chopped
• Spinach/lettuce
• Olives

Directions

Important Note: If you are baking your kabobs and using wooden skewers, let these soak in water while you prep everything else, at least 20 minutes, ideally overnight. If using metal skewers, soaking isn't necessary.

1. Make the marinade: combine oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, minced garlic, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, and chili flakes.
2. Cube the chicken and let it sit in the marinade for at least 20 minutes to as long as overnight. 
3. While the chicken marinates make the Tzatziki Sauce. Start by cutting your cucumber in half, peel, and shred it. Put the shredded cucumber in a paper towel and ring out as much of the water as you can (it will be probably more than you expect).
4. Combine garlic, dill, lemon juice, olive oil, greek yogurt, and drained cucumber in a bowl. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Store in the fridge until you're ready to use it.
5. If you're baking your kabobs, set the oven racks to the middle and top positions - preheat the oven to 450 F. Cover a baking sheet with tinfoil
6. Assemble the chicken skewers/kabobs. You can go in whatever pattern you want, but we alternated chicken with a vegetable and aimed for about 11 pieces per about 12-inch skewer.
7. Place your kabobs on the baking sheet so they don't touch each other, bake for 15 minutes
8. After 15 minutes, switch your oven to the broiler setting and move the kabobs to the top rack. Broil for 1-3 minutes or until chicken just browns - keep an eye on them! 
9. Once broiled, let them cool for a few minutes. Once cooled, slide the entire contents of 1 skewer into a pita pocket. Top with fresh toppings and your tzatziki sauce!

     

Tips, Suggestions, and Substitutions

Tips & Suggestions

• Get some sturdy Pita bread. I don't have any tips on what this is, but every time I've gotten pita bread it falls apart on me. Or, if you don't get study pita bread, just be prepared for this, and don't be afraid to go with the flow. Try checking the bakery section of your supermarket (or you know, a bakery), they might have tips, suggestions, or maybe even some you could buy.
• Be a little prepared to get in there and get messy - that's what soap and water are for. And it's fun! Whether assembling your kabobs or just trying to eat the sandwich, stuff might get everywhere. Don't be discouraged, enjoy the ride.

Substitutions

• The pita is kinda optional, but it's my preferred way to eat this dish. 
• I wouldn't suggest using this marinade on steak, but it could also possibly work for pork or other poultry. 
• You can substitute all of the vegetables for other vegetables. If you aren't sure what to try, just google kabobs or chicken skewers, I'm sure you'll find at least pictures of something!

In Conclusion...

I was far more excited about this recipe than my partner was, but I really did enjoy it! It kinda has a lot going on, which I get can be a bit offputting, but that's how I like my food, with a lot going on. You'll get lots of bursts of flavor between the chicken marinade, the vegetables, the sauce. It's cohesive, it all comes together. It makes sense. Bird on a wire, Rat in a Pocket, Dinner on the Table!

This is another recipe that came from a lot of places, but there were a couple of heavy influencers here. The chicken marinade comes from Chef de Home and the Tzatziki sauce came from Creme de la Crumb. Though I did make some alterations mostly on the amount of something that was used.

If you make this please please tell me. I think this was so much fun, and I definitely bought kabobs for this (they were like maybe $6?) and I don't regret it. Sometime I wanna try it with a grill instead (but I don't own a grill right now). And, of course, if you have any questions as you're going along or if you have suggestions on how to improve this recipe, or just wanna say hi, please leave them in the comments below. You can also follow me on Pinterest or Twitter, if those kinds of things are your jam. Thanks for visiting, and don't forget to love each other. Is it Thursday, yet?

"But I like how you delivered it with confidence." 

Original character art by Hannah at @agarthanguide on Twitter.