A Feast of Ice and Fire: The Official Game of Thrones Companion Cookbook (A Song of Ice and Fire) (13 page)

Read A Feast of Ice and Fire: The Official Game of Thrones Companion Cookbook (A Song of Ice and Fire) Online

Authors: Chelsea Monroe-Cassel,Sariann Lehrer

Apple Muse.—Take Appelys an sethe hem, an Serge hem þorwe a Sefe in-to a potte; þanne take Almaunde Mylke & Hony, an caste þer-to, an gratid Brede, Safroun, Saunderys, & Salt a lytil, & caste all in þe potte & lete hem sethe; & loke þat þou stere it wyl, & serue it forth
.

—TWO FIFTEENTH-CENTURY COOKERY-BOOKS
.

Serves 2
Prep: 20 minutes
Chilling: 1 to 2 hours
Pairs well with
Breakfast at Winterfell
,
Modern Pork Pie
, cold cider
On first spoonful, this soup comes across with just a strong honey taste. The color fools one’s brain into expecting a different flavor—strawberry, perhaps—but once
you’re over the initial surprise, you can begin to appreciate it for its own merits. With a little cinnamon on top, the soup reminded us of a candied apple, yet the almond milk lends it just a bit of nuttiness.
2 firm, tart apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 cup almond milk
⅓ cup honey
1 tablespoon sandalwood powder (or enough red food coloring to tint the soup a light red)
Pinch of saffron
Pinch of salt
Poudre Douce
or cinnamon sugar for serving
Boil the apples until they become mushy, then drain them. Press the apples through a sieve, or whiz them in a food processor until they are mostly liquefied. Pour the apples into a saucepan and add the almond milk, honey, sandalwood, saffron, and salt. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until the soup thickens to a desirable consistency.
Place the soup in the refrigerator until it is chilled through, then serve it with poudre douce or cinnamon sugar on top.

Modern Cold Fruit Soup
Serves 8
Prep: 10 minutes
Chilling: 1 to 2 hours, or overnight
Pairs well with
Breakfast in Meereen
,
Oatcakes
, fresh milk
This is a simple, wholesome fruit soup. The melon and spices, combined with unusual herbs, results in a lovely yet unfamiliar combination of flavors, equally suited to the warmer seasons in the North and to the sweltering weather of exotic Meereen.
1 medium cantaloupe, cut into chunks
½ cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
⅓ cup lemon basil leaves, or regular basil
Juice from 1 lemon
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of ground cinnamon or ground nutmeg
Optional garnishes: a drizzle of honey, a few fresh basil or mint leaves, crushed nuts, a dollop of yogurt
Add the cantaloupe, yogurt, ginger, basil, lemon juice, salt, and cinnamon to a blender or food processor and blend until well combined. Refrigerate until completely chilled, preferably overnight. Dish into individual bowls, garnish as desired, and serve.

Onions in Gravy

Ben Stark laughed. “As I feared. Ah, well. I believe I was younger than you the first time I got truly and sincerely drunk.” He snagged a roasted onion, dripping brown with gravy, from a nearby trencher and bit into it. It crunched
.
—A GAME OF THRONES

Serves 4 to 6
Prep: 5 minutes
Cooking: 30 minutes
Gravy, as we think of it today, evolved out of the ancient practice of using the drippings left from roasted meats to flavor other dishes; over time, it became a sauce in its own right. Here we have added whole onions to the gravy to make it more of a side than a sauce. However, as delicious as this recipe proves to be, it is at its best when paired with something. Bread, sharp cheeses, and roasted meat all suit admirably.
10 ounces boiler or pearl onions
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 sprig (about 1 teaspoon) of a finely chopped fresh savory herb, such as savory, rosemary, or thyme
⅓ cup apple cider
1 tablespoon flour
3 cups beef stock
Splash of brandy (optional)
Clean and peel the onions. Cut seven of the onions into quarters and set the remaining whole onions aside.
Place the honey into a deep frying pan over medium heat, along with the butter,
herbs, and quartered onions. Stir to make sure the onions are covered with the butter and honey mixture, and cook for around 8 minutes, or until the onions begin to turn a nice golden brown. Stir all the while to make sure they don’t burn.
Add the cider to the pan in three splashes, pausing for the liquid to heat between each splash. This will help deglaze the pan, dissolving all the lovely, sticky, tasty stuff into the gravy.
Sprinkle the flour over the pan and stir to make sure it fully incorporates into the gravy. Then add the stock and the reserved whole onions, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for at least another 5 minutes, then reduce until it has reached the consistency you desire. At this point, check the taste; add the brandy if you’re using it, season with salt and pepper according to your preference, and serve.

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