The Unofficial Game of Thrones Cookbook: From Direwolf Ale to Auroch Stew - More Than 150 Recipes from Westeros and Beyond (Unofficial Cookbook) (16 page)

Cersei’s Creamy Chestnut Soup

Tyrion may suspect Cersei’s motives, but he does not question his sister’s taste in food. Chestnuts seem to be a foil to the Queen: while the raw, spiny fruit looks ominous to the passerby, Cersei’s menace is less apparent, except to those who know her as well as Tyrion does and, like him, are clever enough to survive obtaining such insight. But once chestnuts are roasted, boiled, and puréed — all of which Cersei might do to those who threaten her person or power — they can be all sweetness and delight. (
A Clash of Kings
, Chapter 44 — Tyrion)

Serves 8

2 pounds chestnuts, roasted

1 tablespoon butter or chicken fat

6 leeks, well-trimmed and thinly sliced

1 carrot, thinly sliced

1 rib celery, thinly sliced

Pinch thyme

8 cups chicken broth

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cup minced fresh parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut an X into each chestnut on the flat side.
   
2. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30–35 minutes, turning frequently. Peel while still warm. Chop chestnuts coarsely and set aside.
   
3. In a soup pot, melt butter or fat over medium-high heat. Add leeks; sauté 3 minutes. Add carrot and celery; continue to sauté 2 minutes longer.
   
4. Add chestnuts and thyme, and cook for 1 minute.
   
5. Add broth to pot; bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 30 minutes or until chestnuts are very tender. Remove from heat and let cool briefly.
   
6. Blend in batches to purée soup. Strain through a fine sieve into a fresh pot. Reheat soup, then season with parsley, salt, and pepper.
   

Queen’s White Bean Soup

Queen Cersei’s food may be decadent, but she often has ulterior motives when she sits down to share her meal. With a battle on her doorstep, Cersei’s dinner with her brother is especially tempting — so much so that Tyrion thinks twice before eating anything she doesn’t. This fragrant soup, inspired by Cersei’s dish of white beans and bacon, would loosen anyone’s lips as trouble brews. (
A Clash of Kings
, Chapter 44 — Tyrion)

Serves 10

2 pounds hot Italian sausage

3 yellow onions

4 sprigs thyme

4 tablespoons virgin olive oil

2 gallons
Redwyne Brown Stock
, made with beef

2 pounds cooked cannellini beans

1 large bulb garlic

1 cup black olives, pitted

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bunch fresh parsley, cleaned and chopped

Kosher salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

1 loaf fresh Italian bread, thinly sliced

About
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cup store-bought roasted red pepper purée

1. Cut the sausage into slices about
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   inch thick. Peel and finely slice the onions. Clean the thyme and remove the leaves (discard the stems).
   
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the virgin oil over medium temperature in a large stockpot. Brown the sausage for 3 minutes. Add the onions and cook for 1 minute (do not brown the onions).
   
3. Add the stock and simmer on low heat for 1 hour, uncovered. Add the beans and simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered.
   
4. After adding the beans, prepare a garlic paste. Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice the unpeeled bulb in half crosswise. Place halves face-down on a sheet of foil large enough to cover both. Form sheet into a packet around garlic without fully covering. Pour 1 tablespoon of the oil into foil packet, ensuring cut faces of bulb are covered in oil. Wrap garlic completely; make sure all edges are folded up to prevent oil from leaking out. Place packet in oven.
   
5. Roast for 10 minutes, until the garlic is completely softened.
   
6. Let cool, and then peel. Mash half of the garlic for garnish and set aside.
   
7. Purée remaining half of garlic with olives in a food processor. Add the parsley, salt, pepper, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and blend thoroughly.
   
8. Lay slices of bread on a baking sheet and bake in oven on 400°F for 10 minutes. Spread garlic and olive purée on bread.
   
9. Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish each serving with about 1 tablespoon of the red pepper purée,
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   teaspoon of the reserved garlic paste, and a few thyme leaves.
   

Late Lord Frey’s Leek Soup

Pale and cold, this is the perfect dish for the ancient and devious Lord Walder Frey of the Crossing. It’s also an appropriate and delectable allusion to the heartless destruction of those he deems his enemies, and far more palatable than the stewed crow and maggots Robb Stark swore he’d eat to please the Freys. For a touch of irony, serve it with bread and salt — just don’t serve it at a wedding. (
A Storm of Swords
, Chapter 51 — Catelyn)

Serves 6

4 tablespoons (
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stick) butter

4 leeks, white and light green parts, sliced

1 medium onion, diced

3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

5 cups chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup heavy cream

Chopped fresh parsley or chives

1. In a large soup pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add leeks and onion; cook, stirring often, just until vegetables soften — do not brown. Add potatoes and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 1 hour, or until potatoes are very soft.
   
2. Remove from heat. Either purée soup in a food processor or press through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
   
3. Chill until ready to serve. Before serving, whisk in heavy cream. Check seasoning. Ladle into bowls; garnish with parsley or chives.
   

Lord Nestor Royce’s Wild Mushroom Ragout

To get their caravan moving down the Giant’s Lance, Alayne promises little Lord Robert Arryn mushroom soup and venison and lemon cakes at Lord Nestor Royce’s feast — but it may be Alayne who needs real fortification after the harrowing journey. Sturdy and satisfying, this Royce-inspired ragout would welcome any traveler off a cold, dangerous path. (
A Feast for Crows
, Chapter 41 — Alayne)

Serves 4–6

1 pound wild mushrooms (morels, shiitake, cremini, or oyster)

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cup (
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stick) butter

1 leek, cleaned and tender white part sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

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cup dry white wine

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cup heavy cream

Kosher salt and freshly ground white or black pepper to taste

1. Brush mushrooms clean and remove any tough stems. Slice larger mushrooms, halve medium-size, and leave small ones whole. Set aside.
   
2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced leek and sauté for a minute. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Then add mushrooms. Toss to coat and cook until tender and browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add wine and cook until reduced by half. Add cream and bring just to a boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve hot.
   

Volantene Cold Beet Soup

“Sweet” is a word Quentyn Martell uses to describe Volantis and he means it both accurately and ironically. In his time there, he finds people most unhelpful in the hot, humid city that is known for its Triarch rulers constantly scheming against each other, as those who belong to the Tigers or the Elephants will do what they must to influence votes and politics. And yet, they do love their sweet wines and sweet beets. An accurate picture of Volantene tastes, this soup is a strangely skewed reflection of many of its people. (
A Dance with Dragons
, Chapter 6 — The Merchant’s Man)

Serves 6–8

4 cups fresh beets, peeled and shredded

1 whole onion, peeled and stuck with 4 cloves

2 quarts water

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cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons sugar

3 eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

Sour cream

1. In a soup pot, combine beets, onion, and water; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 1 hour, or until shredded beets are tender.
   
2. Remove onion and cloves; discard. Stir in lemon juice and sugar; continue cooking 30 minutes.
   
3. Place eggs in food processor; pulse to whip. Ladle 2 cups soup into large, heat-safe measuring cup. With processor running, slowly pour soup into eggs. Immediately stir egg mixture back into soup pot; stir well. Add salt and pepper to taste.
   
4. Allow soup to cool; refrigerate until chilled. Serve cold with a dollop of sour cream on top.