The Unofficial Game of Thrones Cookbook: From Direwolf Ale to Auroch Stew - More Than 150 Recipes from Westeros and Beyond (Unofficial Cookbook) (14 page)

Makes 2 loaves

2
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cups boiling water

1
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cups steel-cut oats

1 cup raisins

1 tablespoon plus 1 pinch kosher salt

3 tablespoons butter

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cup warm milk

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1
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teaspoons active dry yeast (1 package)

1 cup whole wheat flour

4–6 cups bread flour

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cup cornmeal

1 large egg

1 cup rolled oats (not quick cooking)

1. In a large bowl, combine water, steel-cut oats, raisins, 1 tablespoon salt, and butter. Stir together, then let stand 30–45 minutes, until oats have softened. Set aside.
   
2. In another large bowl, combine milk, brown sugar, and yeast. Stir to dissolve and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
   
3. Add whole wheat flour and oat mixture; stir to combine. Add enough bread flour to create a firm dough. Add flour only to reduce stickiness. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead 8–10 minutes. Return to bowl, dust the top with flour, and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap. Rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
   
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment or grease the sheet lightly. Sprinkle sheet with cornmeal. Turn risen dough onto a floured surface, divide into 2 equal portions, and shape into oblong loaves. Place onto prepared pan, seam-side down. Dust with flour, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and set aside to proof for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°F.
   
5. Whisk egg with a pinch of salt and brush across the surface of risen loaves. Sprinkle liberally with rolled oats, and using a serrated knife, cut decorative slash marks into the surface of the dough, about
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   -inch deep. Place a pan of cold water at the bottom of the oven to create steam, and bake until golden brown and hollow sounding, about 30–40 minutes. Cool completely on a rack before serving.
   

Umma’s Morning Loaf

Blind Beth sees the stars in her dreams, but during the day the world is black. Even a task as simple as getting dressed and going to breakfast in the morning becomes a worthwhile practice session, training her senses so she may function without sight. The smell of Umma’s morning loaf is a beacon in the dark for her, a scent to follow to the promise of nourishment and the day’s true beginning. (
A Dance with Dragons
, Chapter 45 — The Blind Girl)

Makes 2 loaves

1 cup warm water

3 tablespoons honey

1
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⁄
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teaspoons active dry yeast (1 package)

3 eggs

¹
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cup olive oil, plus more as needed for tops of loaves

2 cups fresh or frozen and thawed corn kernels

1 cup scallions, finely chopped

1
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cups cornmeal

¹
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cup whole wheat flour

³
⁄
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teaspoon kosher salt

3–4 cups bread flour

¹
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cup cornmeal

1. In a large bowl, combine water, honey, and yeast. Stir to dissolve and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
   
2. Add eggs,
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   cup oil, corn, scallions, cornmeal, and whole wheat flour; stir to combine. Add salt and enough bread flour to create a firm dough. Add flour only to reduce stickiness. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead 8–10 minutes. Return to bowl, dust the top with flour, and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap. Rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
   
3. Coat two 9" × 5" loaf pans with pan spray, and dust thoroughly with cornmeal. Turn risen dough onto a floured surface, divide into 2 equal portions, and shape into oblong loaves. Place into prepared pans seam-side down. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set aside to proof for 30 minutes, or until dough rises above the pans. Preheat oven to 375°F.
   
4. Brush olive oil gently onto the surface of the risen dough and sprinkle lightly with cornmeal. Bake until golden brown and hollow sounding, about 30–40 minutes. Cool 10 minutes, remove from pans, and cool completely on a rack.
   

Soft Flatbread from Across the Narrow Sea

In the Seven Kingdoms, nearly everyone enjoys loaves of hearty bread with their meals. But across the narrow sea, Daenerys, Tyrion, and many others prefer plates of soft flatbread to go with their figs, olives, and cheese. Even the Dornish royalty have adopted it to serve alongside their finest small plates. This variety — a simple pita bread — pairs nicely with
Balerion Fish Roe Dip
,
Doran’s Favorite Chickpea Paste
, cheese plates, and other exotic spreads and samplers. (
A Dance with Dragons
, Chapter 2 — Daenerys)

Makes 5 breads

1
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⁄
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cups warm water

1 tablespoon honey

3
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teaspoons active dry yeast (2 packages)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon kosher salt

3–4 cups bread flour

1. In a medium bowl, stir together warm water, honey, and yeast, and set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes.
   
2. Stir in oil, salt, and enough bread flour to create a firm dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead, adding flour only as necessary, until the dough becomes smooth and elastic, about 8–10 minutes. Return to bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in volume, about 1
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   hours.
   
3. Preheat oven to 500°F, and preheat a dry baking sheet. Turn dough onto a floured surface, divide into 5 equal portions, and roll each into a tight ball. Using a rolling pin, roll out each ball into a flat disk,
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   -inch thick. Rest 20 minutes, uncovered.
   
4. Place one disk onto the preheated baking sheet. Bake exactly 3 minutes. Remove carefully with tongs, and repeat with remaining disks. Finished bread will be puffed and very pale. Cool completely before slicing and opening.
   

Trident Flax and Fennel Hardbread

Brienne and Jaime may be an odd pair of companions, but they at least agree that starving in the Riverlands is not an option conducive to long life. Hardbread may not be the most appealing meal for a Lannister who prefers the finer, softer luxuries in life, but it keeps them well on their march. This version spruces up the traditional flour-and-water combination and adds a provincial, earthy taste with a little grain and herb. (
A Storm of Swords,
Chapter 11 — Jaime)

Makes 12–15 crackers

²
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cup warm water

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cup olive oil

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teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon flax seeds

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

2–3 cups whole wheat flour

1 egg white

1. In a large bowl combine water, oil, and salt. Add baking powder, flax and fennel seeds, and enough flour to create a firm dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead, adding flour only to reduce stickiness, for 5 minutes. Return to bowl, dust with flour, cover with plastic wrap, and rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°F.
   
2. Coat a baking sheet with pan spray. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and divide it into 3 equal portions. Using a rolling pin, roll each portion to
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   -inch thick, and pierce each piece all over with a fork. Brush with egg white, arrange on baking sheet, and bake until edges are brown, about 10–15 minutes. When cool, break crackers into serving-size pieces.
   

In a realm where winters last for years and bring with them a unimaginable, bone-chilling cold, warm soups and stews become an essential meal. Fit for all tastes, ingredients, and occasions, these hearth-fired and cauldron-cooked dishes can accommodate anyone’s means and needs.

A good salad is key as well. Whether the ingredients are cultivated or foraged, these vegetable dishes may be lighter fare, but are still a staple of a well-rounded diet. Reminiscent of the summer’s “salad days,” they may be the last holdouts of warmer times, too. Because they’re susceptible to the coming deep freeze, large bowls of greenery will become more and more scarce as food stores dwindle in winter, but the wealthy and noble may enjoy their greens for a little while longer.

When vitality and health are so prized, cherished, and important to survival in a harsh world, soups, stews, and salads not only help the people of Westeros to make it through the harsher times, but remind them that nature moves in cycles and warmer times will come again.