The Unofficial Game of Thrones Cookbook: From Direwolf Ale to Auroch Stew - More Than 150 Recipes from Westeros and Beyond (Unofficial Cookbook) (26 page)
Authors: Alan Kistler
Tags: #recipes, #cookbook, #Game of Thrones
Bran’s Venison Burger
“Winter is coming,” but that doesn’t mean they stand by and await the darkness. Bran is a determined, resourceful boy filled with a strong resolve in his soul matched only by his curiosity. Inspired by Bran’s youth, journeys, and wild heart, this Venison Burger captures a bit of the lighthearted child he trades for a sage wanderer. (
A Clash of Kings
, Chapter 16 — Bran)
Serves 8
2 pounds ground venison
Coarse kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
8 or 10 buns, buttered and toasted
1 head romaine lettuce, washed and torn
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 beefsteak tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 avocados, peeled and sliced
1 cup kalamata olives, chopped
Assorted cheeses, crumbled, sliced, or shaved (Boursin, Cheddar, blue, pecorino, goat, Monterey jack, etc.)
1 pound bacon, fried crisp
Assorted condiments: mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, barbecue sauce, etc.
- Form meat into 8 to 10
3
⁄
4
-inch-thick patties. Place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse salt and cracked pepper to taste. Turn patties over and repeat the seasoning. Refrigerate for an hour so the meat will hold together on the grill. (Variation: For pan searing, burgers do not need to be refrigerated.) - Place breads and buns in a basket.
- Arrange lettuce, onion, tomatoes, avocados, olives, sliced cheeses, and bacon on a platter. Place crumbled and shaved cheeses in bowls. Set out condiments.
- Prepare a hot fire in the grill. Sear burgers over high heat for about 2 or 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Allow internal temperature to reach 140°F for well-done. Place on a platter and serve with all the fixings. A side of
Benjen’s Roasted Onions Dipped in Gravy
or
The Dead Man’s Roasted Vegetables
may complete this meal.
A Word of Wisdom
Ground venison is very lean, so fat is often added during the butchering process. Give any meatloaf, soups, or chili a new twist with this or another variety of ground game!
Everyman’s Skewered Pigeon and Capon
Birds serve many roles in the realm of Westeros. Some deliver messages between the lands. Others offer dreams, visions, and new sight to those like Bran Stark and Orell the wildling. But sometimes, they’re simply wonderful food, respected and appreciated at the highest and lowest of tables. This rustic rendition of two commonly enjoyed birds could be found at any tavern or feast table in Westeros. (
A Clash of Kings
, Chapter 16 — Bran)
Serves 6–8
1
⁄
2
teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crumbled
1
⁄
2
teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 tablespoons (
3
⁄
4
stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
3
⁄
4
pound boneless, skinless pigeon breasts
3
⁄
4
pound boneless, skinless capon breasts
Flour for dredging
Vegetables of your choice — peppers, onions, etc.
- In a small bowl, mix together the cloves, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Using a fork, mash the herbs and spices with softened butter.
- Cut the pigeon and capon into chunks and dredge with flour.
- Place the herb-butter mixture on a piece of waxed paper and roll the pigeon and capon in it until evenly coated. At this point, you can wrap the meat in plastic and refrigerate if you want to cook and serve it later.
- Set the grill to medium or let the coals die to ashes.
- Thread the meat and vegetables onto skewers, alternating varieties of meat evenly on each skewer. Grill until meat is nicely browned, about 3 minutes, and then turn and grill for 3 more minutes. Internal temperature of meat should reach 165°F.
A Word of Wisdom
Why use unsalted butter? It does not burn as easily as that with salt in it. The cream used in sweet butter is also fresher and of better quality, while salt just acts as a preservative and masks flavors. You can always add salt on your own!
Buttered Quails of King’s Landing
After a long day of political maneuvering, Tyrion Lannister enjoys a large meal with Lord Janos Slynt, a meal where every dish has its own wine and could be a full supper on its own. Paired with a glass of Tyrion’s favorite Arbor red, this dish of quails drowned in butter would honor any guest with its undeniable richness of flavor. But diners should be wary of drowning themselves — be it in butter, wine, or intrigue masked as hospitality. (
A Clash of Kings
, Chapter 8 — Tyrion)
Serves 4–6
6–8 quail
1 cup seasoned flour
3–4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 shallots, finely chopped
1
⁄
4
cup brandy
2 cups chicken stock
1
⁄
4
cup almonds, sliced
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons horseradish
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Dredge quail in flour.
- Heat butter in a large skillet; add shallots. Sauté the quail on both sides for about 3 or 4 minutes per side along with the shallots until quail is golden brown and crispy.
- Add
1
⁄
4
cup brandy and ignite, standing back until flame subsides. Add chicken stock and almonds and bring to a boil. Cover tightly and lower heat to a simmer. Cook for about 1 hour or until leg bones pull off the birds and internal temperature reaches 150°F. - Stir in the sour cream and horseradish. Simmer for another 15 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Serve hot.
A Word of Wisdom
Wild game can be so lean that it needs to have some fat and/or moisture added while cooking. Many recipes, like this one, often require finishing a sauce or dish with butter or heavy cream — even when they include stocks and milk.
Lordlings’ Goose-in-Berries
The perfect marriage of bird and berry comes just in time for the harvest. Overstuffed and overwhelmed by the harvest feast, Bran sends Lord Cley Cerwyn a dish of this goose in berries to honor House Cerwyn’s loyalty to the North. Known well for how easily it pairs with a variety of wines, goose is a fine complement for honored bannermen who work as closely with their liege lord as the Cerwyns do. (
A Clash of Kings
, Chapter 21 — Bran)
Serves 6
2 (about 18 ounces each) large goose breast halves (partially thawed)
1
⁄
2
cup seasoned flour
6 tablespoons (
3
⁄
4
stick) unsalted butter
4 tablespoons blackberry jam or
Last Bite of Summer Blackberry Preserves
1
⁄
2
cup heavy cream
- While goose breast is slightly frozen, carefully slice each breast horizontally into 3 cutlets. Dredge in flour.
- Melt butter in a skillet and sauté goose cutlets for about 3 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Set on a plate.
- Add the blackberry jam to the skillet and melt, stirring. Add heavy cream and stir until beginning to bubble. Add cutlets back to pan to warm. Then serve each cutlet with one-sixth of the cream sauce spooned over the top.
A Word of Wisdom
Though crossbreeding of chicken and turkey has left their meat less palatable for some, geese are still usually much like their ancestors: intensely flavored, gamey, dark, fatty, and delicious.
Stark Stuffed Quail
It can be difficult when a boy must step into the role of his father, but Bran Stark is stronger than appearances may indicate. While hosting the visiting lords and bannermen, he feasts on stuffed birds and other fine meals. It’s a good feast and an educational one. If only he weren’t also bothered by such strange dreams … (
A Clash of Kings
, Chapter 16 — Bran)
Serves 4–6
8 quail
Salt and pepper to taste
1 package chicken gravy mix
1
⁄
2
cup dry white wine
1
⁄
4
cup (
1
⁄
2
stick) butter
1
⁄
2
cup porcini (Italian brown) mushrooms, brushed and sliced
1
⁄
4
cup finely chopped sweet onion
1
⁄
2
cup wild rice, cooked
1
⁄
2
teaspoon dried sage leaves or 4 fresh ones, shredded
1
⁄
4
teaspoon fresh basil
Pinch ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
4 slices bacon
Watercress, for garnish
- Cut 4 wooden skewers in half, and soak in water for at least a half an hour. Rinse the quail and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper.
- Make the gravy according to the package directions, adding the white wine. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan and sauté the mushrooms and onions until soft, about 8 minutes. Then add the cooked wild rice and stir in the rest of the ingredients (except the bacon).
- Set the grill to medium and leave room for indirect heat.
- Stuff the quail with the mushroom-and-rice mixture. Start with a tablespoon in each quail and pack in more if possible. Close the opening on each quail with wooden skewers. Sear quail for about 2 minutes per side over direct heat.
- Place the quail breast-side up in a metal or enameled roasting pan large enough to hold the birds without piling them up. Pour the gravy over the quail, then arrange a half strip of bacon over the breast of each quail.
- Place on the grill, over indirect heat, and close the lid. Roast for 20–30 minutes, depending on the heat of the grill. Grill until brown, or at least 150°F with a meat thermometer. Serve with extra wild rice. Garnish with watercress.