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) (3 page)
Sansa’s Buttermilk Biscuits
Lady Sansa Stark sipped buttermilk
with
her biscuits, but the two can be combined into a classic breakfast treat. Fluffy and rich, these biscuits are reminiscent of the life Sansa thought she had and the dream she believed was destined to become her future reality. Served warm and fresh with a fried breakfast, these just might remind anyone of safer, happier times. (
A Game of Thrones
, Chapter 67 — Sansa)
Makes 12–15 biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1
⁄
4
teaspoon baking soda
3
⁄
4
teaspoon plus 1 pinch kosher salt
1
⁄
4
cup (
1
⁄
2
stick) cold unsalted butter
1 cup cold buttermilk
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
- Line a baking sheet with parchment or lightly grease the sheet. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and
3
⁄
4
teaspoon salt. Cut in butter until it is broken down into pea-size pieces. - Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and pour in buttermilk. Using a fork, blend the flour mixture and buttermilk until the dough just comes together.
- Turn onto a floured surface and fold dough over onto itself 6–8 times. (Be careful not to knead or overwork.) Pat into 1-inch thickness. Cut into circles using a floured round cutter. Place biscuits 2 inches apart on prepared pan and set aside to rest 10–15 minutes. Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Mix egg with a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon water. Brush lightly onto biscuits, then bake 15–20 minutes, until golden brown. Turn pan halfway through baking to promote even browning.
A Word of Wisdom
Make sure the buttermilk you use for these biscuits is fresh. Buttermilk can spoil quickly and you don’t want to ruin the flavor of your treats! If you don’t think you’ll use enough buttermilk to warrant buying a whole container, buy powdered buttermilk instead. It stays fresh much longer.
Dothraki Antelope and Spicy Sausage
The meat used in sausage changes between the diverse regions of Westeros and Essos, making it a food fit for many tastes. Lamb, antelope, and horse meat are just a few varieties that grace tables noble and rustic. Daenerys Targaryen may turn such food away because her mind is troubled by where her new marriage might take her life, but other characters enjoy the spiced meat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and you should as well. This particular sausage with antelope caught in the Dothraki Sea makes a fine brunch dish and can bring out the Dothraki within. (
A Game of Thrones
, Chapter 11 — Daenerys)
Serves 8–10
1
⁄
2
pound ground antelope or venison
1
⁄
2
pound spicy breakfast sausage
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 (4-ounce) cans green chilies, chopped
1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
12 eggs
1
1
⁄
2
cups whole milk
Salsa, sour cream, chopped green onions (for serving)
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease large baking dish and set aside.
- Brown meat and place evenly in the baking dish. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle green chilies, then cheese, evenly over meat.
- With the back of a spoon, slightly hollow 12 places for the eggs (away from the edge of the baking dish). Break eggs into the indentations and lightly break yolks with a fork. Pour milk over all and bake for about 30 to 40 minutes, just until set.
- Serve with salsa, sour cream, and chopped green onions on the side.
A Word of Wisdom
Of course, game breakfast sausage works just as well and, like any good meal, is fit for a feast among peasants or nobility. If you need more spice (and what warrior doesn’t?), throw on some fennel, red pepper flakes, a few drops of hot sauce, or additional chilies.
Northern Harvest Oat Biscuits
As Bran and his guests would attest, oat biscuits serve as welcome additions to any breakfast or harvest feast, acting as commonplace snacks yet subtly complementing the flavor of other dishes. Serve these flavorful scones on their own with a piping hot mug of breakfast tea. Or enjoy them later in the day with
Harrenhal Vegetable Stew
,
Littlefinger’s Lamprey Pie
,
Brynden Tully’s Blackened Trout with Dornish Gremolata
, or a
Stag Strongwine Snifter
. (
A Clash of Kings
, Chapter 16 — Bran)
Makes 6–8 scones
1 cup Scottish oats
1
1
⁄
2
cups milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup cake flour
1
⁄
2
cup oat flour
1
⁄
2
teaspoon ground cinnamon
1
⁄
2
teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1
1
⁄
2
cups brown sugar
1
⁄
2
cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced and well chilled
1 egg yolk
1
⁄
2
cup cream
- Combine oats and 1 cup milk. Refrigerate overnight to soften.
- Preheat oven to 375˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or lightly grease the sheet. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, vanilla, and remaining
1
⁄
2
cup milk; set aside. In a large bowl, sift together cake flour, oat flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and
1
⁄
2
cup brown sugar. - Cut the chilled butter into the dry ingredients, breaking it into small, pea-size pieces with your fingertips or a pastry blender. Be sure not to mix too much. Butter and flour should create a dry, crumbly mixture, not a paste.
- Make a well in the center of the flour-butter mixture. Add the egg mixture and the soaked oats. Stir gently until just moistened. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and fold it 7 or 8 times, until it holds together. (Do not knead.) Flatten the dough into a disk 1-inch thick. Cut the disk into 6–8 wedges and place them on the prepared pan, evenly spaced.
- Whisk together the yolk and cream and brush it generously on the top of each scone. Sprinkle the tops with remaining brown sugar. Allow scones to rest 10 minutes and then bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
A Word of Wisdom
The wedge shape used in this recipe recalls a time when baking focused on sustenance rather than any concern with appearance. Today’s scones are often cut out of the dough like biscuits or formed into decorative shapes. This practice is fine but also results in some wasted dough, something that bakers of past centuries (and likely in Westeros) would not have tolerated.
Direwolf Beef and Bacon Pie
The sigil of the House of Stark is the direwolf, a beast that is much larger and more fearsome than any other canine predator found in nature. With such a noble carnivore on their shields, it is no wonder that the Starks seem to enjoy meats at every meal, even at the start of the day. Direwolf Beef and Bacon Pie makes for a hearty, savory breakfast for anyone, wolf or not. (
A Game of Thrones
, Chapter 70 — Jon)
Serves 4
12 slices bacon
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, sliced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1
⁄
2
cup chopped mushrooms
2 tablespoons flour
1
1
⁄
4
cups beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1
⁄
4
cup heavy cream
1
⁄
2
cup peas, fresh or frozen
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded potatoes
1
⁄
4
cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Pinch paprika
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cook bacon, remove from pan, and set aside. Chop into small pieces. Brown the ground beef, remove from pan, and set aside.
- Sauté the onion, carrots, and celery in the vegetable oil for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook 5 more minutes, then add the meat back to the pan. Break up any large chunks of meat.
- Sprinkle the meat mixture with the flour, stir, then add the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer until thickened, stir in the cream and peas, and season with salt and pepper. (Use extra pepper and add some hot sauce if you want to spice up the pie.) Pour the mixture into a casserole dish.
- Mix the shredded potatoes, mayonnaise, and cheese together in a bowl and then spread over the mixture in the dish.
- Sprinkle the potatoes with paprika and bake for 30 minutes.
A Word of Wisdom
Refrigerate any meat pie or quiche soon after baking to ensure they are safe to eat. Cool the pie on the counter until just warm, cover it with plastic or foil, then place it in the refrigerator. If kept well chilled, it should last for two days.