A Feast of Ice and Fire: The Official Game of Thrones Companion Cookbook (A Song of Ice and Fire) (24 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

Breakfast in King’s Landing

Cersei Lannister was breaking her fast when Sansa was ushered into her solar. “You may sit,” the queen said graciously. “Are you hungry?” She gestured at the table. There was porridge, honey, milk, boiled eggs, and crisp fried fish
.
—A CLASH OF KINGS

Serves 2
Porridge: 10 minutes to overnight
Fingerfish: 20 minutes
Eggs: 5 to 10 minutes

Pairs well with
Oatbread
,
Iced Milk with Honey
,
Fresh Fruit

This makes for a satisfying start to any day. The saltiness of the fingerfish is a flavorful counterpart to the sweetness of the honeyed porridge. The texturally aware eater will delight in the wide array provided by this spread: crunchy fish, soft porridge, thick honey, firm egg. Alternatively, present the selection as a smorgasbord so that guests can pick and choose.

1 recipe
Traditional Fingerfish
, cooked and kept warm

1½ cups steel cut oats, soaked in water overnight

Milk (whatever you most commonly use is fine)

4 hard- or soft-boiled eggs (see
this page
or
this page
)

Berries, brown sugar, diced apples, nuts, honey, and other porridge toppings

Drain the soaked oats and pour them into a pot, adding just enough milk to cover them. Place the lid on the pot and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the eggs to your liking.

Arrange all the breakfast elements on your plate, and enjoy!

Fingerfish

In the Queen’s Ballroom they broke their fast on honeycakes baked with blackberries and nuts, gammon steaks, bacon, fingerfish crisped in breadcrumbs, autumn pears, and a Dornish dish of onions, cheese, and chopped eggs cooked up with fiery peppers
.
—A STORM OF SWORDS

Traditional Fingerfish

Makes 10 fingerfish
Prep: 10 minutes
Frying: 15 minutes

Pairs well with breakfasts
,
Traditional
Bean-and-Bacon Soup
,
Crusty White Bread

The traditional recipe is one made on the Turkish coast of the Black Sea, where these fantastic little fish are a staple food. The outside is crunchy from the cornmeal breading,
while the inside is tender and moist. Just a pinch of salt brings out the taste of the fish, while a bit of lemon is a classic pairing.

10 hamsi (European anchovies), or other very small fresh fish such as sardines or smelt

1 cup cornmeal

Oil for frying

Pinch of salt

½ lemon (optional)

You may either fry the little fish whole or take their heads off first. When they are sufficiently small, such as hamsi, they do not require deboning, but can be eaten whole.

Rinse the fish under cold water, then dip them in the cornmeal, coating them thoroughly.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the fish until they are lightly golden on both sides. Sprinkle with salt and squeeze a few drops of lemon juice over the fish, if desired, before serving.

Modern Fingerfish

Serves 2
Prep: 15 minutes
Frying: 10 minutes

Pairs well with
Pease Porridge
,
Modern Bean-and-Bacon Soup
,
Lemonsweet

This is a fish stick in perfect form. Miles beyond anything that came out of your mom’s freezer when growing up, the batter is crispy, the fish tender and flaky. Add a squeeze of lemon and some tartar sauce, and you’ll feel like a kid again.

1 pound halibut

⅓ cup flour

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 cup panko bread crumbs

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons olive oil

Lemon wedges for serving (optional)

Tartar sauce for serving (optional)