Authors: Alan Kistler
Tags: #recipes, #cookbook, #Game of Thrones
The Unofficial Game of Thrones Cookbook: From Direwolf Ale to Auroch Stew - More Than 150 Recipes from Westeros and Beyond (Unofficial Cookbook) (11 page)
A Word of Wisdom
Rutabagas and turnips have a naturally buttery flavor, especially when young and fresh in the autumn. Both would be common sights in cold storage throughout the Seven Kingdoms.
Mord’s Boiled Beans
A simple dish, boiled beans are still a satisfying treat and can be eaten alone as a filling snack or as something to whet the appetite for a larger meal. Upon finding himself in a bad situation (not the first or last time for him), Tyrion Lannister knows there’s a way out if he can just think of one. And who can truly think on an empty stomach? It might not be his first choice, but a plate of beans from Mord seems to be enough to help him concoct a plan. (
A Game of Thrones
, Chapter 38 — Tyrion)
Serves 6
1
1
⁄
2
cups pigeon peas, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small Spanish onion, chopped
1
⁄
3
green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1
1
⁄
2
teaspoons salt
1
⁄
4
teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1
⁄
4
cup chopped fresh thyme or 1 tablespoon dried
1 medium tomato, seeded, chopped
- Simmer pigeon peas in 4 cups water for 1 hour, until tender. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a 10-inch skillet, then add onion, green pepper, garlic, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and thyme, and sauté until onion is translucent (about 5 minutes). Add chopped tomato and cook 2 minutes more.
- Add the vegetables to the beans and cook 45 minutes more, until beans are very soft. Serve with white or yellow rice.
A Word of Wisdom
Dried beans absorb a great deal of water when soaked and will swell to as much as 150 percent of their original size. The beans will cook more quickly this way than if you just use dried beans straight from the bag. Never cook them in the soaking water.
Golden Lions’ Spiced Squash
The Lannisters savor joys and pleasures (to a fault, some would say). Whether they overindulge or not, their tastes can’t be faulted or questioned. During a celebratory feast, Tyrion completes his repast with this spiced squash dish. Warm and comforting, it mirrors the new home honored by the royal spread, but it also nods at his new occupation with an undeniable richness. (
A Clash of Kings
, Chapter 8 — Tyrion)
Serves 8
1 medium butternut squash (2–3 pounds)
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon roughly chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
- Cut the butternut in two, crosswise, just above the bulbous bottom. Place the cut side of the cylindrical barrel down on a cutting board, and peel it with a knife or potato peeler, removing all rind. Repeat with the bottom part, then cut bottom in half and remove seeds.
- Dice squash into 1-inch chunks. In a large mixing bowl, toss squash with cumin, oil, salt, and pepper.
- Spread into a single layer on a doubled baking sheet, and roast in a 375°F oven for 40 minutes, turning after 25 minutes, until browned and tender. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.
A Word of Wisdom
Want the most squash with the fewest seeds? Choose butternuts with a large cylindrical barrel, and small bulbous bottom.
Arya’s Sweetcorn Eaten on the Cob
As hard as traveling on the road was, and as difficult as her life became, Arya is still able to find some pleasure and joy in the simple eating of sweetcorn on the cob. This food is so simple to prepare, yet it’s a delicious addition to almost any meal. It offers a few minutes of simple pleasure as the young girl embarks on a journey that will twist and turn in ways no one could have predicted. (
A Clash of Kings
, Chapter 9 — Arya)
Serves 8–12
8–12 ears of corn
1
⁄
2
cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- Set the grill on medium-high.
- Remove the husks and silk from the corn. Presoak the corn in a bowl of water for 10 to 20 minutes. Paint the corn with butter.
- Grill for about 4 minutes per side, turning often and adding butter. Serve with more butter, salt, and pepper.
A Word of Wisdom
Some people prefer to wrap the corn in aluminum foil with a pat of butter or a cube of ice, but putting it directly on the grill gives it a lovely, rustic flavor.
Lannister Red Fennel Delight
Southron salads (see
Chapter 4
) aren’t the only home for the savory flavor of fennel. Sausage-stuffed fennel, a fine side dish likely to be found on the table of a Lannister, gives the favorite herb a little flair and is inspired by fennel-filled salad and
Hand of the King’s Oxtail Soup
served in the Tower of the Hand. And besides, Tyrion would never argue with having more options and resources at his disposal. (
A Clash of Kings
, Chapter 44 — Tyrion)
Serves 10
3
3
⁄
4
pounds pork or ox
3
⁄
4
–1
1
⁄
2
pounds pork or ox fat
1
1
⁄
2
bulb garlic
1
⁄
4
cup plus 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
3 tablespoons dried basil
3 tablespoons dried oregano
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Kosher salt to taste
5 large bulbs fennel
1 tablespoon olive oil
- Grind the meat and fat separately. Keep chilled. Peel and mince the garlic.
- Mix together all the ingredients except fennel bulbs and olive oil in a chilled bowl with chilled utensils. If using an electric mixer, be sure not to overblend the meat and fat. Keep sausage mix chilled while preparing fennel.
- Clean and trim the fennel bulbs (cut off the stalks; use only the bottom bulb). Boil until al dente. Remove, drain, and let cool.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a large baking dish with the oil. Carefully slice the fennel bulbs in half; keep the base (root piece) intact on each half. This should aid in keeping the “leaves” together.
- Carefully stuff each leaf layer with the sausage mixture.
- Place each stuffed half in the prepared baking dish cut-side down. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes longer.
- Drain off excess fat. Serve hot.
A Word of Wisdom
Besides being a favorite for gourmet salads and sandwiches, fennel seeds are a popular sausage ingredient, making it a logical pairing with ground meats in almost any form.
Jeyne’s Stewed Onions and Leeks
With Queen Jeyne so attentive, Robb need never go hungry, even when he’s busy making plans for his next attack on the Lannisters. A perfect side dish for a meal of roasted meat, this recipe should bring any young warrior back to his senses with the overwhelming taste of a hearth-cooked meal and a dash of love from a pretty young spouse. (
A Storm of Swords
, Chapter 20 — Catelyn)
Serves 4
5 black peppercorns
5 parsley stems
1 bay leaf
1 onion, halved, plus 2 onions, whole and peeled
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 rib celery, sliced
2 teaspoons salt
2 leeks, cleaned, halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Chopped chives or parsley
- Combine peppercorns, parsley stems, bay leaf, halved onion, carrots, and celery in a nonreactive pot with 3 quarts of water and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil; lower to a simmer. Add the whole onions and leeks; simmer very gently for 15 to 20 minutes, until leeks are very tender.
- Remove leeks and whole onions from the broth; arrange them cut-side up on a platter. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with chives.
Word of Wisdom
Braised leeks are a juicy, light side dish perfect with spicy dishes and fried foods as well as with meat. Use the broth left from cooking the leeks in soups, stews, and risottos. Remember to wash leeks very well, twice even, as they often contain lots of sandy grit.