The Unofficial Game of Thrones Cookbook: From Direwolf Ale to Auroch Stew - More Than 150 Recipes from Westeros and Beyond (Unofficial Cookbook) (6 page)
Authors: Alan Kistler
Tags: #recipes, #cookbook, #Game of Thrones
The portions might be small, but this food can start new friendships, seal peace treaties, and keep an enemy (or death) at bay for one more day. Never mistake these morsels for being unimportant.
Grand Maester Pycelle’s Prized Pomegranate Grapefruit Bars
Pomegranate reminds Grand Maester Pycelle of the long summer in his youth, a time when the days were enjoyed with relaxation and fresh fruits. But the red, fine-tasting fruit also has great medicinal value — protecting the stomach, heart, eyes, and more — as do summery Dornish grapefruits, which are filled with vitamins and phytonutrients. Paired in this recipe, these practical fruits would breathe a hint of summer into any maester’s day. (
A Game of Thrones
, Chapter 25 — Eddard)
Serves 10
2
1
⁄
2
cups all-purpose flour
1
1
⁄
4
cups (2
1
⁄
2
sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3
⁄
4
cup confectioners’ sugar
1 ripe pomegranate
5 eggs
1
⁄
2
cup fresh grapefruit juice
2
1
⁄
2
cups granulated sugar
1
1
⁄
4
teaspoons baking powder
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix together the flour, butter, and confectioners’ sugar. Press into a large oblong baking pan and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
- While the crust bakes, cut open the pomegranate, remove the seeds, and set them aside. Discard the skin and other material.
- Beat the eggs in a bowl, and mix in the grapefruit juice, sugar, and baking powder. Fold in the pomegranate seeds. Pour the mixture over the crust. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is set. Allow to cool before cutting into bars.
A Word of Wisdom
Pomegranates are a versatile fruit that can be used as a garnish on sweet dishes. You can sprinkle the seeds over desserts and salads. When cutting them open or removing the pulp-encased seeds, be sure to wear an apron or your clothing could easily be stained.
King’s Landing Snails in Garlic
For Sansa Stark, a dish of snails only enhances the majesty and novelty of visiting King’s Landing and seeing her visions of fairy tales come true. In any setting — whether a joust or a feast — this dish transports tables away from the commonplace and familiar, with the snails served in delicious mushroom cups. Though Joffrey was at Sansa’s side to accustom her to eating snails from their shells, this version of her gastronomic escape doesn’t require a doting prince to enjoy. (
A Game of Thrones
, Chapter 29 — Sansa)
Serves 9
1 (28-ounce or 36-count) can escargot, drained and removed from their shells
1
⁄
2
cup (1 stick) butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
36 mushrooms, stems removed
1
⁄
2
cup white wine
1
⁄
2
cup cream
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Ground black pepper to taste
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an escargot dish or a glass baking pan. If using an escargot dish, you may need to use several to prepare all escargot at once, depending on the size of your dish.
- Soak escargot in cold water for 5 minutes.
- Drain escargot and dry well with a paper towel. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté lightly. Before garlic browns, add escargot and mushroom caps. Stir often for about 5 minutes.
- Whisk together wine, cream, flour, and pepper until smooth. Pour into skillet and bring to a light boil. Continue cooking, stirring often, until sauce thickens. Remove skillet from heat.
- Spoon mushroom caps into escargot dish or baking dish, cap side down. Place one escargot into each cap. Spoon sauce evenly over each pair.
- Bake for 10–15 minutes.
A Word of Wisdom
Escargot is used to refer both to the species of edible land snails used in fine cooking and to the dish made from them. These gastropods are actually cultivated for market through the practice of heliculture, though foragers also find them in some gardens, vineyards, and forests.
Robert’s Fried Golden Goose Eggs
Eggs are a common part of breakfast across Westeros, but hale and hearty warriors may not be satisfied with a simple chicken egg. A goose-egg appetizer graces King Robert’s plate on a day when he knows dangers are rising against his kingdom, but he and Ned Stark let themselves get lost in food and friendship anyway. This recipe offers the added delectable distraction of deep-fried breading and hearty sausage. (
A Game of Thrones
, Chapter 30 — Eddard)
Serves 4
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
1
⁄
4
cup seasoned flour
4 hard-boiled goose eggs, peeled
1 pound ground sausage
1 goose egg, beaten
1 cup white bread crumbs
- Heat the oil in a deep fryer to 350°F.
- Place flour in a bowl and lightly roll each hard-boiled egg in the flour.
- Divide the meat into fourths and flatten out into patties. Place each hard-boiled egg on a patty and carefully mold the meat around the egg, making sure there are no cracks.
- Place beaten egg in a shallow bowl and bread crumbs in another shallow bowl. Roll meat-covered egg in the beaten egg and then in the bread crumbs until well covered.
- Lower eggs into the hot oil and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes, until golden. Remove and set on a paper towel to drain. Cut into halves or quarters and serve.
A Word of Wisdom
Goose eggs require more special handling than their chicken-bred cousins, but are well worth it. They are a tad stronger than chicken eggs, and the taste will alter somewhat based on what the goose has been eating. If you’re buying eggs from domesticated geese, this should not be a problem.
Red Keep Blood Orange Sampler
This blood oranges sampler is a satisfying snack for nobles in the capitol. King Robert enjoys them not only for their taste, but for the memories they bring: happier, simpler times before the weight of the crown began to press on him. Arya enjoys them simply as a sweet-tasting treat when she’s taking a break from lessons — and uses them as a weapon when Sansa is particularly annoying. An imported delicacy from warmer climates, the oranges seem to be taken for granted by those who can still afford the luxury of food and fond memories.
(
A Game of Thrones
, Chapter 30 — Eddard)
Serves 4
2 blood oranges
1 teaspoon rose water
1
⁄
4
cup pomegranate seeds
2 clementines or mandarin oranges
- Slice the tops and bottoms off the blood oranges and set them on one of the cut surfaces.
- With a sharp knife, cut the peel and pith off the oranges in downward strips around each orange to reveal the flesh. Cut the oranges into thin slices across the width, making round wheel slices. Remove any seeds.
- Arrange the orange slices on four plates and sprinkle the rose water over them. Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds over the slices.
- Peel the clementines and separate them into individual sections. Scatter the sections onto the blood oranges, dividing them among the four plates.
A Word of Wisdom
Clementines are tiny, seedless, easy-to-peel oranges that are similar to tangerines. The climate in Dorne is perfect for growing these gems.
Desperate Travelers’ Acorn Paste
Whether they’re braving the Kingsroad during war, fighting beyond the Wall, or foraging in the last days before the long winter, acorn paste can satisfy travelers’ hunger. Even children have no problem preparing this food in a moment of need. This spread goes nicely on biscuits and bread — a luxury in the wild. (
A Clash of Kings
, Chapter 19 — Arya)
Serves 6
2 cups unbroken live oak acorns, shells removed
4–5 tablespoons peanut oil or other vegetable oil, divided use
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Coat acorns with 1 tablespoon peanut oil and spread on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10–15 minutes. Cool acorns.
- Process the acorns in a food processor on high speed until finely ground. Continue processing until acorns form a thick paste.
- Slowly add remaining peanut oil until smooth and creamy, scraping down sides and adding a little more oil as needed. Serve on
Winterfell Black Bread
,
Trident Flax and Fennel Hardbread
, or a bread of your choice.
