A Feast of Ice and Fire: The Official Game of Thrones Companion Cookbook (A Song of Ice and Fire) (19 page)

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

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Broth of Seaweed and Clams

When he woke the day was bright and windy. Aeron broke his fast on a broth of clams and seaweed cooked above a driftwood fire
.

—A FEAST FOR CROWS

Serves 2
Soaking seaweed: 10 minutes
Clams: 5 minutes
Cooking: 10 minutes

Pairs well with
Black Bread
,
Oatcakes
, light beer such as a lager or pilsner

We can see why Damphair would love this intensely fishy and salty dish. Served piping hot with a warm chunk of bread for dipping, the broth has an unexpected depth. Butter and garlic, both traditionally paired with seafood, add extra flavor. As a breakfast, some may find it a bit strong on the palate, but seaweed is a great source of vitamins and minerals for those who want to start their day the ironborn way.

¼ cup dried wakame seaweed

8 fresh clams, rinsed and scrubbed

1 teaspoon unsalted butter

1 clove garlic, chopped

Ground black pepper to taste

Fill a large bowl with warm water and drop in the dried seaweed. Let it sit for 5 minutes, drain, and fill the bowl again. Let it stand for another 5 minutes, then drain out the water. Roughly chop the seaweed.

Place the clams, butter, and chopped garlic in a saucepan and add water until the clams are covered. Bring the water to a boil. Remove the clams as they pop open, reserving the broth in the pot. If any clams have not opened after you have been cooking them for 5 minutes, discard them.

While the clams are cooling, strain the cooking broth through a fine sieve and return it to the heat. Add the chopped seaweed and bring the broth to a boil.

To shuck the clams, pry open the shell halves and pull the meat out by hand.

Remove the broth from the heat, add the shucked clams, season with pepper, and serve.

Cook’s Note:
Seaweed can be found at grocery stores, in the Asian food section. We get ours from Whole Foods, where they have a variety to choose from. If wakame is not available, nori seaweed will work, and if seaweed isn’t an option, kale can be used. Be sure to remove the tough and bitter central stem of the kale before cooking, and boil until tender before adding to your broth.

Stewed Rabbit

“You’ll eat rabbit, or you won’t eat. Roast rabbit on a spit would be quickest, if you’ve got a hunger. Or might be you’d like it stewed, with ale and onions.”

Arya could almost taste the rabbit. “We have no coin, but we brought some carrots and cabbages we could trade you.”
—A STORM OF SWORDS

16th-Century Stewed Rabbit

[T]ake cony, henne, or malard and rost them till they be almost enoughe, or els chope them and fry them in freche grece and fry onyons mynced and put them in a pot and cast ther to freche brothe and half wyne clowes maces pouder of guinger and pepper and draw it with venygar and when it is boiled cast ther to thy licour and pouder of guingere and venygar and sesson it and serve it
.

—A NOBLE BOKE OF COOKRY, 16TH CENTURY

Serves 4
Prep: 15 minutes
Cooking: 2 hours 45 minutes

Pairs well with
Black Bread
,
Elizabethan
Lemon Cakes
, ale

Surprisingly tasty for a simple dish, this rabbit stew can be every bit as satisfying as much of Westeros’ more sophisticated fare. Its rough simplicity lends the dish a level of authenticity. We swapped out the original wine for ale, but left the spices as they are in the period recipe, despite the fact that they probably would not be available at a country inn during times of hardship. The richness of the rabbit and the sour tinge of the vinegar make for a surprisingly dynamic flavor combination. By the end of the meal, you will be eagerly soaking up the remains of the broth with crusty bread.

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

1 medium onion, minced

1 rabbit, whole

2 slices bread, preferably stale

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

⅛ teasppon mace

Pinch of cloves

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

½ cup carrots, finely chopped

½ cup cabbage, finely chopped

1 cup ale

Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a pan and fry the minced onion; transfer it to a pot large enough to accommodate the bones from the rabbit.

Cut the usable meat from the rabbit and lay it aside, leaving the legs whole. Break down the remaining bones and put them into a pot with the minced onion. Add enough water to cover, then bring the water to a boil, reduce it to a simmer, and cook until the meat starts to fall off the bone, about 2 hours. Strain out the bones and onion, and reserve the broth.

In a separate bowl, mix the bread with a few ladlefuls of broth. To this, add the spices, salt, and vinegar, then pour the mixture back in with the broth. Add the carrots and cabbage, and cook until the vegetables are soft, another 30 minutes or so.

In a medium pan, brown the rabbit legs and other meat pieces with the remaining butter. Deglaze the pan with the ale, then add both the meat and ale into the stewpot. Bring the stew to a boil, then serve.