The Unofficial Game of Thrones Cookbook: From Direwolf Ale to Auroch Stew - More Than 150 Recipes from Westeros and Beyond (Unofficial Cookbook) (30 page)
Authors: Alan Kistler
Tags: #recipes, #cookbook, #Game of Thrones
4 fresh aji amarillo chilies (if you prefer this dish more mild, remove seeds)
5 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon water, if needed
3 tablespoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup red wine vinegar
2 cups vegetable oil, divided
1 beef heart, cleaned and cut into very thin 2-inch squares
- In a food processor, purée aji amarillo chilies and garlic until they form a paste. Add up to a tablespoon of water if needed to get a paste texture. Place in a large resealable plastic bag with cumin, salt, pepper, vinegar, and
1
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2
cup of the oil. Close bag and mix marinade gently with your hands. - Place beef heart into bag. Close bag and mix to thoroughly cover heart with marinade. Refrigerate overnight.
- When ready to cook heart, prepare a very hot fire on grill. Soak several bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes; you’ll need enough to fit all of the strips, so assume at least 10.
- Thread 4 strips of heart onto each skewer, making sure each strip lays flat. The skewer should go through each piece twice.
- Reserve the marinade in a small pot and carefully bring to a boil for three minutes. Allow to cool, then add remaining oil.
- Lay skewered heart on grill and baste generously with marinade-oil mix. Cook skewers for no more than 2 minutes on each side. This meat is best served medium-rare. Turn and baste continuously.
- Serve immediately.
A Word of Wisdom
There is much debate about the marinating time for this dish. Some complain that the meat is too tough if marinated overnight in vinegar; other swear by it. Decide for yourself, and experiment! As long as the slices are very thin and cooked very quickly, the meat should stay deliciously tender.
Deceitful Delights: Desserts, Drinks, and “Poisonous” Cocktails
Dessert is too often taken for granted, but not in Westeros and the lands across the narrow sea. There, sweets are for royalty and those of noble blood. Sugar is not a product in common use, and for peasants, too much in one dish would be an extravagance to serve — unless good, hard-earned coin brought it to the table. In the Seven Kingdoms, dessert is served to those who are born into wealth and privilege, but it is not so for others less fortunate. Arya Stark’s beloved treats become a thing of the past when her life takes a quick turn, and her lemon cakes are then just a memory of a taste she won’t find in most street markets. Tarts abound at feasts, but are absent on long, hard journeys.
However, not everything sweet is a dessert. Spirits are tied to the progression of every day, of every emotion in life. Wines, stouts, and ales may all be bought or brewed to suit guests’ tastes and to complement the manifold dishes of the land.
Still, these temptations have their consequences. Many assassins and wily killers have found ways to turn these appetizing amusements into deadly weapons. Poisons and venoms are discovered hidden in food and drink — even on the blade of a weapon — but always too late for the poor victim. Assassins treasure their poisons as much as Jaime prizes his sword hand, and the alchemy-inspired concoctions in this chapter reveal truths about the devious poisoners that keep the game of thrones ever-changing.
For your pleasure, these recipes help a meal stand apart from the rest and mark the tables they’re served on as owing fealty to great houses — and great treasures. Whatever you desire to inspire your taste buds and quench your thirst, from desserts Lannisters and Starks could agree on as delicious to signature brews from across the Seven Kingdoms, this chapter is sure to accommodate you.
Arya’s Lemon Cakes
Despite her youth, Arya is one of the most strong-willed and determined characters when we first meet her. But as her sister Sansa is aware, the youngest Stark girl does have one weakness: lemon cakes. Just a mention of them can distract the free-spirited Arya from her impulse to defy orders and conventions — if only for a few moments. To Arya, the cakes represent happy times at home, something worth selling street-caught pigeons for when times are tough. (
A Game of Thrones
, Chapter 15 — Sansa)
Makes 10–12 small cakes
1
1
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2
cups warm milk
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1
3
⁄
4
teaspoons active dry yeast (1 package)
1 egg
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4
teaspoon lemon verbena oil or lemon extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
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2
teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons dried lemon verbena, crushed
- In a large bowl, mix milk, sugar, and yeast. Set aside for about 10 minutes, until foamy.
- Mix in egg, lemon verbena oil, 1 tablespoon of the butter, salt, flour, and dried lemon verbena. Beat together 5 minutes until a smooth dough is formed.
- Cover with plastic wrap and rise in a warm spot for about 1
1
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2
hours (until doubled in volume). - Heat griddle over high heat. Test by sprinkling on a little water. If griddle sizzles and water evaporates, it’s ready.
- Lower heat to medium-low. Melt remaining tablespoon of butter on the griddle. Place muffin rings on griddle and fill halfway with batter. Cover loosely with foil and cook until cakes are browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes.
- Using spatula or tongs, flip over each small cake and ring. Cover and cook another 5 minutes. Serve warm.
A Word of Wisdom
Muffin or crumpet rings will keep your cakes thicker and compact. If you don’t have any handy, you can cut open both ends of short, metal food cans — like those used to pack tuna. Remove the labels and wash them very thoroughly. When you’re ready to make lemon cakes, flour the inside well then use them instead of muffin rings.
Arya’s Apricot Crumb Tart
When familiar resources and support are nowhere to be found, life in the city becomes dangerous and guided by instinct. Arya’s stomach is gnawed by hunger and the smell of nearby foods becomes intoxicating, overriding other priorities. This impractical desire forces her into a practical solution. As she catches a pigeon, Arya prays she might be able to trade it for even something as small as an apricot tart. Such a treat would bring a welcome break from the growing emptiness in her stomach. (
A Game of Thrones
, Chapter 65 — Arya)
Short Crust:
Makes 1 (10-inch) tart crust
1
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4
cup sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 egg yolk
1
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2
teaspoon vanilla
1
1
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3
cups all-purpose flour
Butter Crumble Topping:
Makes enough crumble for 1 pie
1
⁄
2
cup all-purpose flour
1
⁄
2
cup sugar
1
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4
teaspoon salt
1
⁄
3
cup unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
Pie Filling:
Serves 8
4 apricots, peeled, pitted, and cut into
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2
-inch slices
3
⁄
4
cup packed light brown sugar
3
⁄
4
tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1
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4
teaspoon salt
1
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2
teaspoon cinnamon
1
⁄
4
teaspoon mace
1
⁄
2
teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
- To prepare crust:
Cream together the sugar and butter until just combined. Add in the egg yolk and vanilla and mix well. - Add in the flour and mix until the dough is smooth. Wrap in plastic and chill for 1 hour or up to 3 days.
- Remove dough from the refrigerator for 10 minutes to warm up. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to a
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8
-inch-thick, 12-inch circle, turning the dough often. Dust the surface with additional flour if needed. - Roll the dough around the rolling pin and unroll it into a 10-inch tart pan, pressing the dough into the pan. Press your fingers against the rim of the pan to trim the dough. Cover with plastic and chill until ready to bake.
- To prepare crumble:
Blend the flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Using your fingers, rub in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Chill the crumble for 30 minutes before use. - Heat the oven to 375°F.
- In a large bowl, combine the apricots, light brown sugar, cornstarch, cream, salt, cinnamon, mace, vanilla, and butter. Gently toss until the fruit is evenly coated.
- Arrange the apricots in the prepared crust and spread the Butter Crumble mixture evenly over the top. Place the tart on a baking sheet and bake, in the lower third of the oven, for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the crumble is golden brown and the tart is bubbling. Cool to room temperature before serving.
A Word of Wisdom
To best tell if apricots are ready to eat, first look for plump, bright orange fruit. Discard any that are pale yellow or white. Second, test for softness. The fruit should just give under slight pressure. Finally, smell them. A strong apricot smell is an indication that they are ripe and ready.
Sansa’s Strawberry Chiffon Pie
A young dreamer like Sansa cannot help but giggle and gossip with a friend about the dealings of the royal court at King’s Landing. As she shares secrets, romanticizes the knights she’s seen, and ponders why some things seem not to fit into the fairy tales she grew up with, her mood is made all the better by sharing a strawberry pie with a friend. One bite of this dish will chase away serious thoughts, leaving only smiles and the desire for girlish laughter. (
A Game of Thrones
, Chapter 44 — Sansa)
Traditional Graham Cracker Crust:
Makes 1 (9-inch) pie crust
1
1
⁄
3
cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
