The Unofficial Game of Thrones Cookbook: From Direwolf Ale to Auroch Stew - More Than 150 Recipes from Westeros and Beyond (Unofficial Cookbook) (29 page)
Authors: Alan Kistler
Tags: #recipes, #cookbook, #Game of Thrones
A Word of Wisdom
To ensure your baked goods cook as evenly as possible, rotate them halfway through cooking to promote even browning. You can also place a pizza stone or unglazed tiles on the bottom rack to help even out the heat.
Dornish Whiskerfish
At a macabre, fairy-like feast, a prince and a white knight dine in the highest fashion. Along with long green peppers and capons, Dornish Whiskerfish graces the table. Even cooked, the creature is so large that four men struggle to bring it to the table. But smaller whiskerfish from the Greenblood river would make just as keen an impression at a smaller celebration. (
A Dance with Dragons
, Chapter 38 — The Watcher)
Serves 4
4 (7-ounce) catfish fillets
1
⁄
2
cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1
⁄
2
cup cured olives, chopped
1
⁄
4
cup fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, quartered
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Rinse fish and pat dry. Place fillets in a casserole dish.
- Combine sun-dried tomatoes, olives, basil, and olive oil in a bowl. Stir to blend. Spread about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the relish over each fish fillet.
- Cover the casserole with foil and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 5 minutes or until fish is done (when it is opaque and just begins to flake when touched with a fork). Serve fillets with any extra relish and a wedge of lemon.
A Word of Wisdom
It goes without saying that the best-tasting catfish is going to come from clean streams and lakes. Because they are bottom feeders, the meat may taste muddy. It’s best to fish for catfish before the water temperature gets too warm. When cleaning the fish, remove any of the meat that has blood in it, keeping only the firm white flesh.
Lannister Herb-Crusted Pike
To please a queen is a rare and powerful feat to accomplish within a lifetime. As she considers her victory and looks forward to other plans coming to fruition, Cersei celebrates her pleasure with several dishes, including herb-crusted pike. Likely caught where the Blackwater Rush collides with the salty Blackwater Bay, this carnivorous fish suits the ruthless Queen well. (
A Feast for Crows
, Chapter 24 — Cersei)
Serves 4
1
⁄
2
cup flour
1 cup saltine cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1
⁄
2
teaspoon sage leaves, dried and crumbled
1
⁄
2
teaspoon oregano, dried
3
⁄
4
cup fresh parsley, finely chopped, divided
4 (7-ounce) pike steaks
1
⁄
2
cup vegetable oil or more, divided
4 tablespoons (
1
⁄
2
stick) butter
3 lemons, halved
- Combine the flour, cracker crumbs, salt, pepper, sage, oregano, and
1
⁄
2
cup of the parsley in a bowl. Dredge the fish in the flour mixture and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. - Heat a large skillet with
1
⁄
4
cup of the vegetable oil. - Over medium-high heat, sauté the fish steaks in batches for about 3 or 4 minutes per side, until opaque, cooked through, and golden brown. Remove from pan and keep warm. Add more oil as necessary for sautéing.
- Drain excess oil and place skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and melt, stirring with the pan drippings until combined.
- Plate the fish, squeeze 1 lemon over all, and top with the remaining parsley. Then drizzle the butter over all. Serve with additional lemon halves.
A Word of Wisdom
Pike can be bony, but larger fish are easiest to fillet. Just caution your guests to be careful when they dig in!
Eastern Fire Crab
East of the Reach and King’s Landing, just north of Kingswood and the Wendwater, tide ebbs and flows out of Blackwater Bay, pulling with it whatever life (or death) finds its way there. Here, crabs of excellent flavor can be found. When the tide recedes, Davos claims several Blackwater crabs as a meal. This exotic recipe might be well known to spice smugglers, like Ser Davos, running both coasts of the narrow sea and testing their goods along the way. (
A Storm of Swords
, Chapter 5 — Davos)
Serves 4
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1
⁄
2
teaspoon black mustard seeds
2 green cardamom pods, bruised
2 cloves
8 fresh curry leaves
1 large red onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon grated fresh gingerroot
1 pound crab on the shell
Table salt to taste
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1
⁄
4
teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
- In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil. Add the turmeric, mustard seeds, cardamom, and cloves. As soon as the spices begin to sputter, add the curry leaves, onions, and gingerroot; sauté for 7 to 8 minutes or until the onions are well browned.
- Add crab and stir well. Cook until the crab is pearly and opaque.
- Reduce heat. Add the salt, red chili powder, turmeric, and coriander powder; sauté for 1 minute. Add the coconut milk and simmer for about 15–17 minutes, or until curry thickens. Don’t let the coconut milk boil. Spoon sauce over the crab as you cook, making sure it is completely basted.
A Word of Wisdom
Crabmeat is tastiest when freshly cooked, but can be stored for a couple of days in the refrigerator before the taste starts to truly be affected. Frozen, it can remain good for about four months.
Pentoshi Crisp Fingerfish
Across the narrow sea, east of King’s Landing, Dragonstone, and Claw Isle, lies the port city of Pentos. Known for its fishing, Pentos is one of the Free Cities where the scent of spices and fish dishes can be smelled all around. Partake of Pentoshi Crisp Fingerfish and the rest of the world may melt away — including the kingdoms across the narrow sea locked in battle for the sake of an iron chair. (
A Dance with Dragons
, Chapter 1 — Tyrion)
Serves 4
About 5 cups oil, for deep-frying
1
1
⁄
2
pounds fresh fingerfish, haddock, or cod fillets
4 large egg yolks
3 cups bread crumbs
2 fresh lemons
- Add the oil to a large, heavy saucepan, wok, electric fondue pot, or deep-fat fryer. Heat the oil to 350°F. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for deep-frying with the specific appliance.
- Rinse the fish fillets and pat dry with a paper towel. Cut the fillets into finger-length strips. Beat the egg yolks.
- Place the fish strips, beaten egg yolks, and the bread crumbs near the stove. Lay paper towels on a plate and keep near the stove for draining the fish strips.
- Dip each fish strip into the beaten egg, and then coat with the bread crumbs. Deep-fry the fish according to instructions, making sure the fish is completely submerged. Drain the deep-fried fish on the paper towels.
- Cut each lemon into wedges, and serve as garnish with the fish.
A Word of Wisdom
Fish are commonly classified based on their fat content. Lean fish such as red snapper and halibut have a fat content under 3 percent. At the other end, oily fish like swordfish, salmon, and tuna have a fat content of over 10 percent. Lean fish are often sautéed or baked, while broiling is a good cooking method for fish with a higher fat content.
Khaleesi’s Heart
Though she is barely a child in Pentos, Daenerys finds herself thrown into adulthood and making choices she never would have dreamed she would make. In possibly the most vivid and alien moment of her life to date, she proves her strength and loyalty to Khal Drogo’s khalasar by eating a great stallion’s still-beating heart — a practice many other cultures frown on as barbarism. This recipe emulates the Dothraki tradition with fiery grilled beef heart. Unnerving to some and thrilling to others, this dish could prove almost anyone’s mettle. (
A Game of Thrones
, Chapter 46 — Daenerys)
Serves 10
