The Unofficial Game of Thrones Cookbook: From Direwolf Ale to Auroch Stew - More Than 150 Recipes from Westeros and Beyond (Unofficial Cookbook) (7 page)

Winterfell Cold Fruit Soup

A harvest feast in a nobleman’s keep naturally involves both fruits and vegetables from his land and exotic ingredients bought at great cost from traders and merchants. In the halls of Winterfell, the kitchen staff bring out a dish representing the North’s bounty and the Stark family’s wealth. Whether served as an appetizer or dessert, this soup might make it hard for guests to see the reality of the Starks’ increasing weakness through the pretense of money and territory. (
A Clash of Kings
, Chapter 16 — Bran)

Serves 4

1 large mango, peeled and diced

2 cups fresh blueberries

1 cup sliced bananas

2 cups fresh strawberries, halved

2 cups seedless grapes

1 cup nectarines, unpeeled, sliced

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cup kiwi fruit, peeled, sliced

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cup freshly squeezed orange juice

2 tablespoons lemon juice

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tablespoons honey

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teaspoon ground ginger

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teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Gently toss mango, blueberries, bananas, strawberries, grapes, nectarines, and kiwi together in a large mixing bowl.
   
2. Stir orange juice, lemon juice, honey, ginger, and nutmeg together in a small bowl and mix well.
   
3. Chill fruit until needed, up to 3 hours. Just before serving, pour honey-orange sauce over fruit and toss gently to coat.
   

Blackbird Salt Cod Toast

On the ship known as the
Blackbird
, many leave the Wall to pursue different agendas. A hunk of salt cod and a heel of crusty bread would be common enough sights on a journey south on the narrow sea, but the commonplace can be prized as much as the rare — and anyone with Samwell Tarly’s taste for food or Maester Aemon’s nose for simple luxuries would find this snack a welcome distraction from the dangers in the deep. (
A Feast for Crows
, Chapter 15 — Samwell)

Serves 6–8

1 baguette of French bread

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cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon kosher salt

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pound salt cod, soaked for 24 hours (water changed 4 times), drained

1 garlic clove, peeled

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cup milk

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cup olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Pinch nutmeg

1 teaspoon black pepper

Salt to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Slice the baguette into
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   -inch-thick rounds and lay them out on a cookie sheet. Toast them in the oven for about 5 minutes. Turn them over and toast the other side. Remove from oven and set aside.
   
2. Drizzle each piece of toast with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Set aside.
   
3. Put the soaked and drained salt cod into a pot with water to cover. Bring the water to a simmer and poach for 10 minutes. Drain and take out any bones or skin.
   
4. Put the poached cod in a food processor with the garlic. Pulse a few times, then add the milk and oil through the feed tube with the machine running to make a thick purée. Stop adding the liquid if it starts to get too loose. You want a spread consistency.
   
5. Add the lemon juice, nutmeg, and pepper and pulse to combine. Taste and add salt if necessary.
   
6. Transfer the spread to an earthenware bowl and keep it warm in the oven until time to serve. Serve by spreading on the toasted bread.
   

Sandor Clegane’s Pickled Pigs’ Feet

The Hound isn’t to many people’s taste — nor is his chosen wedding “gift” of pickled pigs’ feet. But if the history of Westeros teaches its people anything, it’s that sometimes the people and things that are seen as unwanted or beneath notice, the discarded bits and seeming mistakes, can wind up having a great and positive effect in the long run. Many who have tried this dish have been surprised by what tastes it brings to the table. (
A Storm of Swords
, Chapter 50 — Arya)

Makes 2 quarts

6 pigs’ feet, halved

Kosher salt to taste

2 quarts vinegar

1 small red pepper, chopped

2 tablespoons grated horseradish

1 teaspoon whole black pepper

1 bay leaf

1. Scrape and scald pigs’ feet. Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Let stand for 6 hours. Rinse well in clean water.
   
2. In a large pot, cook the feet in water until tender.
   
3. Make the vinegar stock with remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Pack feet into sterilized Mason jars.
   
4. Fill jars with boiling spiced vinegar, leaving
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   -inch headspace. Clean rim and cap and tighten the band. Place jars on a rack in a pressure canner and add boiling water according to the manufacturers’ instructions, usually several inches. Lock the lid securely into place. Leave weight off the vent pipe or open petcock and exhaust steam for 10 minutes. Place weight back onto vent pipe or close petcock. Canner should start to pressurize in 5–10 minutes. Once the canner has reached 10 pounds of pressure, start the timer. Process jars in pressure canner for 30 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure. Allow the pressure to return to zero on its own.
   
5. Let jars sit in the canner for 5–10 minutes to allow them to cool. Remove jars with a jar lifter and place them on a towel-covered counter to cool. Leave undisturbed for 12–24 hours. Check the seals and remove the screwbands.
   

Ten Towers Cold Beef and Oldtown Mustard

Between two unwanted reunions and the hard journey to get there, proud Asha Greyjoy’s arrival at Ten Towers is hardly comfortable. A snack of cold beef and mustard is hardly enough to fill Asha’s crew or make the Kraken’s Daughter relax, but it’s meal enough to make old Three-Tooth smile. Cobbled together from different lands — the beef from the mainland and the mustard from Oldtown — this dish resembles the awkwardly constructed castle it is served in, a patchwork palace that is strangely emblematic of the divided nation of Westeros itself. (
A Feast for Crows
, Chapter 11 — The Kraken’s Daughter)

Serves 4

2 teaspoons black peppercorns

Pinch kosher salt

1 (6-ounce) beef tenderloin filet, 1
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inches thick

1 teaspoon butter

2 tablespoons cognac plus 1 teaspoon

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cup heavy cream

1 ounce Stilton, Gorgonzola, Cabrales, or Roquefort cheese (optional)

4 to 5 sprigs fresh chervil

Mustard:

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cup yellow mustard seeds

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teaspoon dill weed, dried

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teaspoon celery seed

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons dry white wine

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

1. To prepare the beef:
   Crack the peppercorns in one layer on a cutting board with the bottom of a heavy pan. Lean on it; don’t hammer it. Sprinkle the salt on the filet, then press the meat into the peppercorns to coat both sides.
   
2. Melt the butter in a small, heavy, stainless steel sauté pan over medium-high heat until very hot. Swirl it around and let it sizzle, then brown the filet in it, 4 minutes per side.
   
3. Remove the filets and keep them in a warm oven while preparing the sauce. On zero heat, add 2 tablespoons of cognac to the pan and carefully ignite the alcohol with a long fireplace match. When the flames die down, turn the heat to medium and stir the liquid in the skillet, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
   
4. Add the cream and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook and swirl until the sauce begins to thicken, maybe 3 minutes. Add the teaspoon of cognac, stir, and taste to see if you need additional salt. Return the filet to the pan, and cook it 30 seconds per side in the sauce.
   
5. Slice the filet and plate it. Spoon the pan sauce over it and crumble the blue cheese on top. Garnish with the sprigs of chervil. If serving to late-night guests, chill and serve with homemade Oldtown Mustard.
   
6. To prepare mustard:
   Using a mortar and pestle, grind the mustard seeds. You can pulverize them to a powder or leave them coarse, whichever you prefer. Place the ground seeds or powder in a bowl. Add the dry spices and the salt. Add the wine, vinegar, and honey, whisking vigorously. Depending on the fineness of the seeds (powder will take more liquid than coarse), you may need to whisk in more liquid. Taste to adjust for seasonings. If too wet, add quick-blending flour (e.g., Wondra).