A Feast of Ice and Fire: The Official Game of Thrones Companion Cookbook (A Song of Ice and Fire) (30 page)

Roughly chopped lardons paired with the buttery beans make for a lovely mouthful—the beans really soak up the flavor of the bacon. The onions offer a bit of caramelized sweetness at the end of every bite.

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it is done to your taste, transfer it to a separate plate, leaving the bacon grease in the pan. Sauté the onion and garlic in the bacon drippings until soft.

Turn down the heat to medium and add the bacon, beans, and spices to the onions. Stir until all ingredients are hot. Serve immediately.

Tip:
For a slightly more modern twist, try seasoning this dish with a dash of sambar powder and just a touch of sugar instead of the poudre douce.

This dish is incredible. Curly endive is reminiscent of broccoli rabe; its slight bitterness is balanced phenomenally by the sweetness of the onions. The dish is quick to prepare and can easily be scaled up for more people.

Cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and set it on paper towels to drain. Add the onion to the drippings, and sauté until tender.

Add half the endive leaves and cover the pot, cooking until the endive is wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining endive and the garlic, then cover and cook until the endive has wilted again.

Add the beans and bacon, cooking until the beans are heated through, stirring often. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

For a truly authentic taste of Flea Bottom—the seething heart of King’s Landing—one looks to the pot-shops. This recipe matches the original description, in that it is thick and full of a variety of meats and vegetables and, because it’s intended for the poor, entirely without frills. It’s more a curiosity than something to serve at a nice dinner party, but it could be dressed up to suit your tastes. (The optional seasonings at the end of the ingredients list may not all be available in King’s Landing, but they will make Bowls of Brown far tastier.) Be innovative, and use whatever combination of meats you desire. Stirring up the pot to see what is on the bottom becomes a kind of adventure, as bones large and small turn up amid the barley and shreds of meat.

This recipe is ideal for cooking in a slow cooker; you’ll need the largest size insert available. Add all your meat to the pot. Pour in the beer, add beef broth to cover, and set the temperature to medium high. Let cook for about 6 hours. Add the barley, apple, pearl onions, carrots, and seasonings, continue to simmer for another two hours, and serve.

If you don’t have a slow cooker, follow the above directions, using a large pot over medium heat. Adjust the burner temperature to ensure a slow, gentle simmer. Keep an eye on the level of liquid and add more if needed.

Tip:
If you find your stew isn’t thickening satisfactorily, try adding a
roux
.