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) (4 page)
Weasel’s Oatcakes
The girl known as Weasel at Harrenhal has always been strong and smart for her age, but the ease with which she accepts a simple existence may be the thing that keeps her out of harm’s way. Oatcakes fuel her long days of hard, physical work, and the little dash of dried apricots in this recipe would be a true treat on a dull morning, especially for someone just trying to blend in. (
A Clash of Kings
, Chapter 38 — Arya)
Serves 8
3 cups rolled oats
2 cups flour
1
⁄
4
teaspoon baking soda or powder
1 egg white
1
⁄
3
cup plain yogurt
1
⁄
2
cup sugar
1
⁄
2
cup honey
1
⁄
2
teaspoon vanilla extract
1
⁄
2
cup dried apricots, chopped
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or lightly grease the sheet.
- Pulse the oats in a food processor 10 times, then add the flour and baking soda or powder and pulse to mix.
- In a bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy, then add the yogurt, sugar, honey, and vanilla. Add the oat mixture and dried apricots to the yogurt mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon.
- Roll the mixture into 8 balls and flatten them into thick, cylindrical patties.
- Place the oatcakes on prepared baking sheet and bake for 15–20 minutes. Let cool and then refrigerate unless eating right away.
A Word of Wisdom
For a crunchier treat, replace the apricot with
1
⁄
2
cup chopped nuts. Or, just trade
1
⁄
4
cup of apricots for
1
⁄
4
cup of nuts to enjoy both. You can serve your oatcakes cold and any time of the day, but they’re lovely hot with a pat of butter and syrup.
Dragonstone Meat and Mash
Sitting in the dark dungeons below the castle of Dragonstone, Ser Davos Seaworth ponders life and death with relief only coming through regular meals. Meat and mash is one of the dishes that keeps him healthy. This warm, home-style meal of rich sausage, potatoes, and gravy belies his captivity. (
A Storm of Swords
, Chapter 25 — Davos)
Serves 4
4 large potatoes
Water to cover potatoes, plus 1 cup water
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon oil
8 Cumberland sausage links
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons (
1
⁄
2
stick) butter or margarine
About 2
1
⁄
2
tablespoons cream
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley, optional
- Wash and peel the potatoes, then cut into quarters.
- Fill a medium-size saucepan with enough salted water to cover the potatoes, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook the potatoes in the boiling water until tender and easily pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes.
- While potatoes are cooking, heat oil in a frying pan on medium-high. Prick sausage casings to prevent them from splitting, and cook sausages until brown. Remove sausages from pan and set aside.
- Lower heat to medium and add 2 tablespoons of flour to pan drippings. Whisk carefully until flour is browned. Slowly whisk in milk and then 1 cup water until drippings from pan are well combined with liquid. Cook until gravy thickens.
- When potatoes are soft and easily pierced with a fork, drain the saucepan.
- Place the potatoes in a bowl and add the butter or margarine. Use a fork or potato masher to whip the potatoes until fluffy. Add the cream as you mix, being sure not to add more than is needed. Stir in salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve sausages on top of potatoes. Drizzle with gravy, and dress with parsley if desired.
A Word of Wisdom
Though less traditional for the region, you can substitute just about any meat-and-gravy combination for a good, hearty breakfast. Leftovers from a feast of auroch steak or roast boar might give you everything you need for this sturdy plate of proteins and starch to break your fast.
Septa Mordane’s Porridge
Even in the plush Red Keep, the good and kind Septa Mordane enjoys a simple breakfast rather than something extravagant or worldly. This porridge — gussied up with dried fruit, spice, and honey — would meet her approval
and
bring a smile to her usually serious countenance. And she certainly wouldn’t fault you for adding a little creamy almond milk! (
A Game of Thrones
, Chapter 44 — Sansa)
Serves 4
2 cups water
1 cup rolled oats
1
⁄
4
teaspoon salt
1
⁄
2
cup dried currants
1 t
easpoon ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons cream
1 cup almond milk, chilled
- Bring water to a boil. Add the oats and salt and stir. Turn the heat to low and simmer 5 minutes.
- Stir in the currants and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and spoon cooked oatmeal into four bowls.
- Sprinkle
1
⁄
4
teaspoon cinnamon and drizzle 1 teaspoon honey on oatmeal in each bowl. - Mix the cream with the cold almond milk and serve it on the side in a small pitcher.
A Word of Wisdom
Oats have been enjoyed throughout civilized history, and remain an important part of a healthy diet. Threshing oats removes the hard, outer chaff, and winnowing separates out the edible oat from the chaff. Because oats lose only the outer husk during the milling process, they are more nutritious than refined wheat.
Back at the Wall Thick Cream of Wheat
Samwell may have been considered an embarrassment to the Tarly name, but his life in the Night’s Watch is a chance for purpose. When he finds himself unprepared to travel the dark paths ahead, Three-Finger Hobb’s unforgettable breakfast is like an island in his storm. One bite of this hot cereal is fortification against daily foes — and is a meal that makes it worth fighting to reach home again. (
A Storm of Swords
, Chapter 33 — Samwell)
Serves 1
2
⁄
3
cup milk
1 cup Cream of Wheat or farina
Honey to taste
Butter to taste
- Heat milk on medium in a heavy saucepan until bubbles form on edges. Do not boil the milk.
- Stir in Cream of Wheat. Cook on low, stirring occasionally, for 15–20 minutes, until wheat is thick and milk is well combined.
- Serve in a bowl with honey and butter to taste.
A Word of Wisdom
Farina is simply a coarsely ground wheat cereal. Though it’s best known as a breakfast cereal, you can also cook it like polenta as a side dish for other meals.
Night’s Watch Breakfast Loaf
On the Wall, the Black Brothers can always rely on Three-Finger Hobb to keep their strength replenished. Practical and flavorful, this loaf packs sweet fruit and hearty nuts together to stave off the Brothers’ hunger as long as possible. (
A Storm of Swords
, Chapter 55 — Jon)
Makes 1 large loaf (15–20 slices)
1
1
⁄
2
cups plus 1 tablespoon water
1
⁄
2
cup honey
1
3
⁄
4
teaspoons active dry yeast (1 package)
3 eggs
1
⁄
4
cup canola oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4–5 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1
⁄
4
teaspoon ground cloves
3
⁄
4
cup dried apples, chopped
3
⁄
4
cup golden raisins
1
⁄
2
cup pine nuts
- In a large bowl, combine 1
1
⁄
2
cups water, 2 tablespoons honey, and yeast. Stir to dissolve and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. - Add 2 eggs, oil, salt, and enough bread flour to create a firm dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead 8–10 minutes. Add flour only to reduce stickiness. Return to bowl, dust the top lightly with flour, and cover with plastic wrap.
- Rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 2–3 hours. Punch dough down, fold in half, and rise again, until doubled, about 45 minutes.
- Coat a baking sheet with pan spray. Turn risen dough onto a floured surface and with a rolling pin, roll into an 18" × 24" rectangle. Warm remaining honey and brush over entire surface. Mix together cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves, and sprinkle over honey. Evenly distribute apples, raisins, and pine nuts over the spices. Starting on a long edge, roll the dough up into a log. Join both ends of the log to make a circle, and place on baking sheet, seam-side down. Cover with plastic wrap, and rise again 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 325˚F. Combine remaining egg with the remaining tablespoon of water and brush over the surface of the bread. Slice two-thirds of the way into the log every 2 inches all round the ring. Turn each slice at a slight angle, so the resulting ring looks like a flower. Bake until golden brown and firm, about 50–60 minutes. Cool completely before slicing.