It had been a good month for us in the Rapier class recon ship. There had been many pirate kills as we ventured deeper and deeper into Sansha Nation space, but there had also been tragedies.

My Chief Medical Officer was unable to revert a single human from the atrocities done to their bodies physically and mentally at the hands of the pirates. They were dependent on the mechanical symbiosis they had been butchered into. They were monsters that could not be saved.

Not a one.

Additionally, during one of our skirmishes, our ship was hit pretty hard, damaged badly, and our galley had been exposed to open space. We lost several crew members as well as our remaining food supplies.

The breach had been repaired as quickly as possible, but we were starving.

And as if things couldn’t get worse, the refrigeration system for my corpse locker had failed nine days ago. I had refused to give up my trophies, the corpses of my enemies, but my personal meat locker was starting to stink beyond any of our abilities to tolerate … that is when I had the idea.

We all swore never to speak of it.

I think it’s important the story be told.

MAGGOT STEW

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 lb stew beef cut into 1 inch chunks
• 2 cans (14 oz) plain stewed tomatoes
• 1 can (10 oz) beef broth
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 carrots
• 1 can fresh or frozen green beans
• 1/4 orzo pasta

METHOD:

1. Place oil in stew pot and heat on medium low.
2. Measure flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder into ziploc bag.
3. Drop in stew beef, seal bag and shake until well coated.
4. Pour contents of bag into stew pot. Turn up the heat to medium.
5. Peel carrots and cut into small coins.
6. When stew has simmered for an hour, add the carrots and green beans to the pot.
7. Cover pot. Simmer for 45 minutes.
8. Cook orzo pasta in a pan according to package directions.
9. Drain when tender. These are your maggots.
10. Add them to the stew pot, turn off heat, carefully blend.

Bon appetit!