Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back Food Pairings

Emaleeann Holloway
May 2
7 min read

Updated: May 5

“Luke, I am your father” is one of the most incorrectly quoted sayings in a film. Since the release of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in 1980, many have said this to their kids (like my dad did to me and as I do to my children), or yelled it when reenacting the famous scene built with pillows and the household broom to hang onto.

In honor of May the Fourth, I have created food pairings for one of my favorite movies of all time. If this is your first time watching Star Wars, I highly suggest coming back to this post after you have watched Star Wars: A New Hope. If you are like me, and have seen this many times, enjoy your rewatch with tasty meals and drinks. I will put on the top of the recipes when you should make them, and the best part of the movie to dig in.

You do not have to be a Jedi to use the force on these recipes. Making these recipes will be easier than lifting Luke's “Red Five” out of the Dagobah swamp. You have to believe, or you will fail.

If you do not know the famous “.... I am your father” quote, DO keep an ear on it towards the end of the film while you indulge in your Cloud City Dessert. Do or do not, there is no try, as Master Yoda says.

Warm As A Tauntaun Cocktail and Mocktail

As you begin your movie in the frigid conditions of Hoth, start sipping away on the tauntaun inspired mocktail. Just how Han keeps Luke warm by placing him in a freshly deceased tauntaun, this cocktail will warm you to the core. I have included a mocktail version as well so anyone can enjoy!

When To Make and Drink Tip:

Make right before starting the movie to enjoy while hot! Drink when you begin the movie.

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

2 cups peach juice, or peach nectar
2 cups water
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp vanilla
4 oz (1/4 cup whiskey per mug), Irish Whiskey works great
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
Whip Cream (optional but absolutely delicious! Double the whip cream recipe in the dessert down below for homemade whip!)

Instructions:

Combine peach juice, water, lemon slices, ground cardamom, ground ginger and vanilla in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 4 minutes. Taste and adjust the sweetness how you like it, using honey. Remove the lemon slices when the mixture is ready.
While simmering, pour 2 oz whiskey into each mug, if you want a mocktail then simply leave it out!
Pour mixture over the whiskey filled mugs. Stir with 1 rosemary sprig each to infuse flavor. Remove rosemary and top with whip cream if desired! Enjoy while Luke and Han are freezing on Hoth!
TIP: Pour boiling water in the mugs before adding all the liquid, dump out water and then fill with the above recipe to keep this drink warmer longer!

Yoda's Dagobah Stew

Just as Yoda speaks his own reverse language, I will be honoring him with writing the recipe as he would. Well, that might be difficult to follow along with, so I will just throw in a line or two for the great master.

Yoda invites Luke to eat before giving any information away about himself, so join along with him and eat!

When To Make and Eat Tip:

Start the recipe 2 hours before you start the movie. Start the movie when there is around 40 minutes left on the oven timer. The soup should be done when Luke first arrives on Dagobah, serve and enjoy!

So good that Yoda would try this dinner upon meeting you

Ingredients:

2 pounds whole boneless beef chunk, cut into chunks
1 Yellow onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 TBS grated ginger root, or 1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2-3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
2 TBS tomato paste
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup red wine, or beef broth
4 cups beef broth
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 bay leaves
2 handfuls of collard greens, torn small
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large Dutch oven or deep oven proof pot. Season the beef chunk with 1tsp of salt and 3/4 tsp of black pepper. Sear beef until evenly browned on all sides. Cook in batches to make sure you do not overcrowd the pot.
Set the meat aside on a plate, it will need to cook longer later on in the recipe.
Using the same pot, do not wipe out, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, and carrots. Sprinkle the ginger, cumin and turmeric over. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce for 2-3 minutes.
About 3 minutes it will take, reduced the 1/2 cup red wine (or beef broth) needs for 3 minutes. Scrapping the bottom, you must.
Add the flour and stir until coated. add 4 cups of beef broth, stirring until the flour mixed and thickens. Add the beef, bay leaf's and potatoes. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 6 minutes. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper.
Cover with lid and cook in the oven for 1 hour and 40 minutes, or until the meat is tender.
While in the oven, heat 1TBS of butter in a medium saucepan. Sauté mushrooms until golden brown and soft. With 10 minutes left of the cook, add the torn collard greens and mushrooms and stir. Return back to oven for 10 minutes. "Patience, you must have my young Padawan" during this long wait.
Remove the bay leaves and enjoy with Luke and Yoda!

Cloud City Pavlova

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s Cloud City! I might have mixed a non Star Wars reference in here, but I couldn’t resist! What better way to enjoy the climax of the movie with a dessert to resemble the pillow-like texture of a cloud.

If you really want to be most impressive, add in some vanilla ice cream in honor of the citizen running with an old school ice cream maker. This one is for the deep fans.

When to Make and Eat Tip:

Make the morning of and leave Pavlova at room temperature. Make toppings ahead of time, do not decorate and assemble until serving. Decorate and enjoy when Chewbacca finds the parts of C3PO.

You’ll love this recipe. I know.

Ingredients:

Pavlova:

4 large egg whites at room temperature (save the yolks)
200g (1 cup) superfine sugar (pulse granulated sugar in food processor)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp cornstarch
Very small pinch of salt
C3PO's Lemon Curd:
134g (2/3 cup) granulated sugar
4 room temperature egg yolks
75ml(1/3 cup) fresh lemon juice
2 tsp lemon zest, I just used one medium lemon
1/8 tsp salt
85g (6 TBS) sliced unsalted butter, softened to room temperature.
Whip Cream:
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 tsp of vanilla
1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
Han Solo Chocolate (optional)
4 oz semi sweet chocolate
Han Solo Carbonite mold

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using a mixer, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, roughly 4-5 minutes. (This may be shorter if your kitchen is warmer, or take longer if your egg whites are cold). Add half the sugar and beat until combined, then add the other half. Whip for roughly 2 minutes, when glossy stiff peaks form (picture down below). Add the vanilla extract and beat for 1 minute. Fold in the cornstarch and cream of tartar.
Stiff peaks before going into the oven
Spread the mixture onto the prepared sheet in a 8 inch circle. I made the decorative peaks by using the back of a spoon. Keep the center lower than the edges to hold the toppings.
Place in oven and close door. Turn oven down to 200 F immediately. Bake for 90 minutes, until the pavlova is dry and firm. I recommend not opening the door during the bake time, as we want to keep the heat in the oven to do a slow bake. Once done baking, turn off the oven and leave inside until it fully dries.
While pavlova bakes, start preparing the lemon curd.
Lemon Curd: Heat 2-3 inches of water in a small pot. Find a glass or heat proof bowl that will sit on top of the pot without touching the water, or use a double boiler.
Combine egg yolks, lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar and salt in the heat proof bowl while on top of the boiler. Using a silicon whisk, constantly whisk the mixture while it cooks. It is very important that you whisk the while time or youll end up with curdled eggs. It usually takes 10 minutes, you are looking for a hollandaise thick texture. The temperature will read 168 F when done, if you want to use one.
Remove from heat and whisk in the butter until melted. Pour the curd into a glass jar and place plastic wrap touching the top of the curd. Cool completely before storing in the fridge. It will last up to 10 days!
Make the Whip Cream: Whisk cold heavy cream, vanilla, salt, and sugar in the mixer for about 3 minutes on medium-high, or until it has medium peaks. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Optional Chocolate Mold:
You can melt the chocolate and pour in the mold or you can try to temper the chocolate. Once the chocolate is set, pop out of the molds and set aside.
When you are ready to eat, slice pavlova and top with curd, whip cream, and chocolate! The Pavlova without toppings lasts for 2 days on the counter, I do not recommend putting it in the fridge as it will lose its texture.