Authors: Alan Kistler
Tags: #recipes, #cookbook, #Game of Thrones
A Word of Wisdom
You can substitute buffalo for the auroch, as long as you carefully watch the cooking time. Buffalo is very lean and, if overcooked, can become dry and chewy. Cook buffalo to 120°F for rare, 130°F for medium-rare, and 140°F for medium. Overcooked buffalo meat is inedible even to the undead.
Sansa Stark’s Fairytale Trout Baked in Clay
Sansa Stark grew up on fairy tales and songs of heroic knights and handsome, noble princes. When she meets Prince Joffrey, she feels like her daydreams are coming true. Fittingly, she is served a fanciful dish of fish baked in a sealed clay pot — a nonsensical menu item perhaps, but one that may foreshadow a future of captivity, not freedom. This version is a little more practical; baked in bread rather than clay, it doesn’t require the assistance of a prince to enjoy. (
A Game of Thrones
, Chapter 15 — Sansa)
Serves 8
1 10- to 12-inch round loaf of bread (see A Word of Wisdom)
1
⁄
2
cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more to taste
4 large vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
1
⁄
2
teaspoon sea salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried minced onion
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1
⁄
2
teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1
⁄
2
teaspoon dried basil, crushed
Dried red pepper flakes to taste
Granulated sugar to taste
2 cups cottage cheese, drained
1 large egg
3 cups grated mozzarella cheese
Extra-virgin olive oil as needed
12 ounces of cooked trout, flaked, or any canned seafood of your choice, drained
8 ounces fresh button or cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
A Word of Wisdom
Bread like challah lends a sweet flavor to this dish, and because its crust is already soft, it should bake okay if it is just placed on the baking sheet. If you are using bread with an already crusty crust, you may need to wrap the outer crust in foil for the first 45 minutes of the baking time.
Baratheon Boar Ribs with Apple
A king has the luxury of being able to order what he wishes, and after a vigorous hunt it’s understandable that he would want a fine boar to consume. While he rides alongside the son he can’t quite relate to, King Robert makes sure to demand that such a meal will be ready for him and his knights upon their return. The poor boar, however, is not unlike the rotund king who has seen better days before seeming so tempting of a target for his enemies. (
A Game of Thrones
, Chapter 8 — Bran)
Serves 4
1 fennel bulb, core and brown parts removed, chopped
1 tart apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
1
⁄
2
cup white wine
1 tablespoon butter
1
⁄
2
teaspoon caraway seeds
Salt and pepper to taste
1
⁄
2
cup sour cream (optional)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1
⁄
2
cup finely chopped celery
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
2 teaspoons dried rosemary or 2 tablespoons fresh, chopped
1
⁄
2
cup dry bread crumbs or stuffing mix
4 double-thick boar or pork rib chops (7–8 ounces each)
8 wooden toothpicks, soaked in water for
1
⁄
2
hour
A Word of Wisdom
You can either parboil the ribs for 20 minutes, or grill them over indirect heat for about 35 minutes before adding the sauce. Make extra and it will keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.
Castle Black Rack of Lamb
Celebrations with comrades-in-arms call for the finest meat. The newest brothers of the black enjoy this delicious meal courtesy of the Lord Commander, and even though Three-Finger Hobb serves up a good trencher of stew, this dish would be a rare treat for the boys. Jon Snow — who seems to have the blood of a carnivorous direwolf running in his veins — would particularly enjoy this treat. (
A Game of Thrones
, Chapter 41 — Jon)
Serves 4
Lamb:
2 racks of lamb, about 8 ribs each, well trimmed
Slice of fresh lemon
Salt and pepper
1 cup soft (homemade) bread crumbs
1
⁄
2
cup olive oil or melted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 scallions (both green and white parts), chopped
1
⁄
2
cup Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped fine
4 fresh sage leaves, shredded, or 1 teaspoon dried sage
Plenty of freshly ground pepper
Mint Sauce:
1
⁄
2
cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 teaspoons fresh chives, minced
3
⁄
4
cup fresh mint leaves, chopped and loosely packed
1
⁄
2
cup white (dry) vermouth
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
A Word of Wisdom
Vermouth has flavorings that wine does not. The recipes are secret, kept in families for hundreds of years. Legend has it that the original recipes were locked away years ago for safekeeping.
Littlefinger’s Lamprey Pie
If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, the way to sway Lord Petyr Baelish may be through Lamprey Pie. The tavern standard is his admitted weakness, and he’s often willing to spend time with even the most dreadful of people to get a taste. But serving the likes of Littlefinger a dish of eel as slippery as he may not produce the intended consequences … (
A Game of Thrones
, Chapter 33 — Eddard)