Serves 6 Soaking barley: 1 hour
Stock: 10 minutes Cooking: 45 minutes
Pairs well with Black Bread,
Arya’s Snitched Tarts, light beer such as a lager or pilsner
This stew is exactly as good as it sounds in the book. The vegetables add a welcome splash of color that is absent from many seafood chowders. Despite the vast quantities of fish that go into the stew, it does not taste overly fishy. Instead, the seafood flavors melt into the creamy broth, mingling with the aromatic garlic and the subtle hint of saffron. Consider serving the stew in a hollowed loaf of black bread—this adds so many additional complex flavors that you will find yourself spooning up more and more to try to experience them all.
1½ pounds cod, cut into chunks
2 cups cold water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 big leeks (white and light green parts only), well washed and chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup white wine
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
½ cup pearl barley, soaked for at least 1 hour in warm water
1 medium turnip, diced
1 cup heavy cream (do not try to go light and use half and-half)
½ teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
One 12-ounce can evaporated milk
¼ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
½ cup crabmeat, real or imitation
½ cup clam meat
Place ½ pound of the cod in a pot with the water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Then remove the fish with a slotted spoon and set it aside for later. Keep the water, as this is your fish stock.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter and sauté the leeks, carrots, and garlic over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender but not brown, about 5 minutes.
Add the wine and increase the heat, bringing it to a boil. Add the fish stock, thyme, salt, pepper, barley, and turnips; cook for about 20 minutes, or until the turnips are tender.
Warm the cream in a small saucepan—it should not even simmer—then rub the saffron threads into it until the cream turns a nice golden color. Stir the cream and evaporated milk into the broth and turnip mixture.
Add the remaining chunks of fish (both raw and cooked), the crab, and the clams. Cover and cook on medium low for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the fish is opaque. Serve hot.
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.
Modern Stewed Rabbit
Serves 4 Prep: 10 minutes Cooking: 1 hour
Pairs well with Crusty White Bread,
Medieval Poached Pears, red wine
This dish is one of our favorites. While many of the soups and stews in Westeros rely on one or two simple, hearty flavors, this one is a distinct and sophisticated medley, both rich and delicate at the same time. The rabbit takes on a sweetness from the wine and onions that blends divinely with the saltiness of the olives and is rounded out by the r
osemary.
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 rabbit, cut into pieces, keeping the legs whole
Salt and ground black pepper
1 cup dry red wine
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 rosemary sprigs, tied into 2 bundles with kitchen string
3 cups chicken stock
½ pound Niçoise olives (1½ cups)
In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season the rabbit with salt and pepper. Brown the rabbit over medium-high heat, turning it occasionally, until it is crusty all over, about 10 minutes. Transfer the rabbit to a large plate.
Add the wine to the skillet and continue cooking, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour the wine into a cup and reserve, then wipe out the skillet.
Add the remaining ¼ cup olive oil to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and rosemary bundles and cook, stirring, until the tomato paste begins to brown, about 5 minutes.
Add the rabbit and any accumulated juices along with the reserved wine to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until sizzling, about 3 minutes. Add 2 cups of the stock, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Cover partially and cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Add the olives and the remaining 1 cup stock and cook until the sauce is slightly reduced and the rabbit is tender, about 20 minutes longer. Discard the rosemary bundles. Serve the rabbit in shallow bowls.
Cook’s Note: Be mindful of the olive pits!
Trout Wrapped in Bacon
She stared at the supper set before her: trout wrapped in bacon, salad of turnip greens and red fennel and sweetgrass, pease and onions and hot bread. —A CLASH OF KINGS
Serves 2 Prep: 10 minutes Cooking: 10 minutes
Pairs well with Pease Porridge,
Turnips in Butter, Summer Greens Salad,
Medieval Fish Sauce
The fattiness of the bacon melts just perfectly into the trout in this dish, and the rosemary adds a subtle flavor from the inside of the fish, while the Medieval Fish Sauce provides a tangy sweetness to the outside.
1 whole trout (10 to 12 ounces), cleaned and gutted
Salt and ground black pepper
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
3 to 5 slices bacon
3 lemon slices
Preheat the broiler.
Put the fish in a shallow baking pan or a large, heavy, ovenproof skillet, then pat it dry and season the cavity with salt and pepper. Put the rosemary inside the cavity and season the outside of the fish with salt and pepper, then wrap the bacon slices around the fish.
Broil the fish 5 to 7 inches from the heat until the fish skin and the bacon are crisp, about 5 minutes. Turn the fish over gently with a spatula and broil for 2 minutes longer. Add the lemon slices to the pan in a single layer alongside the fish and continue to broil until fish is just cooked through and the rest of the bacon is crisp, 2½ to 3 minutes longer.
Transfer the fish to a platter and serve.
Arya’s Snitched Tarts
She filched one anyway, and ate it on her way out. It was stuffed with chopped nuts and fruit and cheese, the crust flaky and still warm from the oven. Eating Ser Amory’s tart made Arya feel daring. Barefoot sure-foot lightfoot, she sang under her breath. I am the ghost in Harrenhal.
—A CLASH OF KINGS
Medieval Arya Tart
Take Wyn, & putte in a potte, an clarifyd hony, an Saunderys, pepir, Safroun, Clowes, Maces, & Quybibys, & mynced Datys, Pynys and Roysonys of Corauns, & a lytil Vynegre, & sethe it on þe fyre; an sethe fygys in Wyne, & grynde hem, & draw hem þorw a straynoure, & caste þer-to, an lete hem boyle alle to-gederys … þan kytte hem y lyke lechyngys, an caste hem in fayre Oyle, and fry hem a lytil whyle; þanne take hem owt of þe panne, an caste in-to a vesselle with þe Syrippe, & so serue hem forth, þe bryndonys an þe Sirippe, in a dysshe; & let þe Sirippe þe rennyng, & not to styf.
—TWO FIFTEENTH-CENTURY COOKERY-BOOKS
Prep: 15 minutes Frying pastry: 20 minutes
Topping: 45 minutes Yields: 50 tarts
Pairs well with Honeyed Chicken,
Sansa Salad, Mulled Wine
These tarts take a while to make, but they are worth every minute. The pastries look like one could easily overindulge, but each small shortbread cookie is a commitment. The fruit syrup is heavy and chewy; our British readers may recognize this dessert as the medieval ancestor of the Jammie Dodger.
1 bottle inexpensive sweet red wine, such as a Shiraz
1½ cups honey
½ cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Poudre Forte
½ cup chopped dates or prunes
½ cup currants
1 cup fresh or dried figs, if available (if not, substitute your favorite berries), diced
Crumbled candied nuts (optional, but delicious)
1 batch Medieval Sweet Dough
Vegetable oil for frying
Bring the wine and honey to a boil, then reduce the heat and skim off the foam until the liquid is clear. Add the vinegar, poudre forte, and fruits; return the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Keep an eye on the fruit as you proceed—do not overreduce it! The syrup should lightly coat the back of a spoon and reduce by about a third to a half.
Roll the sweet dough to about ¼-inch thickness on a floured board, then use a circular cutter or drinking glass to cut out circles about 2 inches in diameter.
Pour a shallow layer of oil into a skillet or pan and place it over medium-high heat until hot. Working a few at a time, gently slip dough circles into the oil and fry until they are lightly browned and very crisp. Transfer the fried circles to paper towels to drain. Arrange the cakes on a serving platter, then spoon on just enough of the fruit mixture to cover each disk. Sprinkle with candied nuts. The yellowish cakes and the red topping make an interesting contrast in colors, and the wine will soften the cakes.
Modern Arya Tart
Makes 8 tarts Prep: 15 minutes
Freezing: 30 minutes Baking: 35 minutes
Pairs well with Sister’s Stew,
Honeyed Chicken, fruit wine
These are simple confections that really impress. Flaky pastry, the classic combination of chèvre and apple, and the addition of honey and spices makes this a treat that is not to be missed.
Two 17.3-ounce packages frozen puff pastry (4 sheets), thawed
1 egg, beaten
6 ounces soft, fresh goat cheese (about ¾ cup packed)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
3 medium Gala apples, peeled, quartered, cored, and cut into
⅛-inch-thick slices
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup honey, plus more for garnish
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ cup chopped candied nuts (optional)
Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out each puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface to an 11-inch square. Using a 3- to 4-inch round cookie cutter or drinking glass, cut out four rounds from each pastry sheet to make sixteen total. Place four pastry rounds on each of the prepared baking sheets and pierce the dough all over with a fork.
Using a 3½-inch round cookie cutter or glass, cut out smaller rounds from the center of the remaining 8 rounds, forming rings. Brush the outer 1-inch edge of the solid rounds on the baking sheets with beaten egg, and top each with a pastry ring. Arrange the smaller rounds wherever they fit on the baking sheet. They make tasty snacks on their own with just honey and cinnamon. Freeze for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Mix the cheese, lemon juice, and salt in a bowl, then spread the mixture inside the rings of the frozen pastry rounds. Overlap the apple slices on top.
Combine the butter and honey in a small bowl, then brush the mixture over the apples. Sprinkle the tarts with the allspice and nuts, if you’re using them.
Bake until the apples are tender and the pastry is golden, about 35 minutes. Place the tartlets on plates. Drizzle a little honey over each and serve warm or at room temperature.
Blueberry Tarts
Sam loved to listen to music and make his own songs, to wear soft velvets, to play in the castle kitchen beside the cooks, drinking in the rich smells as he snitched lemon cakes and blueberry tarts. —A GAME OF THRONES
Medieval Blueberry Tarts
Daryoles.—Take wine & Fr[e]ssche broth, Clowes, Maces, & Marow, & pouder of Gyngere, & Safroun, & let al boyle to-gederys, & put þer-to creme, (& yif it be clowtys, draw it þorwe a straynoure,) & yolkys of Eyroun, & melle hem to-gederys, & pore þe licoure þat þe Marow was soþyn yn þer-to; þan make fayre cofyns of fayre past, & put þe Marow þer-yn, & mynce datys, & strawberys in tyme of yere, & put þe cofyns in þe ovyn, & late hem harde a lytel; þan take hem owt, & put þe licoure þer-to, & late hem bake, & serue f[orth].
—TWO FIFTEENTH-CENTURY COOKERY-BOOKS
Makes 8 tarts Pie shell: 15 minutes
Prep: 15 minutes Baking: 45 minutes
Pairs well with Trout Wrapped in Bacon,
Turnips in Butter, sweet wine
These treats showcase the fresh fruits of summer. The custardy filling is rich without being overpowering, making it easy to eat several slices. The real focus of each tart is the fruit; the flavors of the berries come across beautifully.
¼ cup milk
A Feast of Ice and Fire: The Official Game of Thrones Companion Cookbook Page 7