The Unofficial Game of Thrones Cookbook: From Direwolf Ale to Auroch Stew - More Than 150 Recipes from Westeros and Beyond (Unofficial Cookbook) (32 page)
Authors: Alan Kistler
Tags: #recipes, #cookbook, #Game of Thrones
Tommen’s Baked Apple Cheese Tart
As wars rage on and tragedies occur, Cersei becomes more and more brittle from the realization that none of her plans are working out correctly, and she begins to fall into the overindulgence of food and drink that King Robert was known for. But the Queen is not as concerned for herself as she is for her children, and she considers both her enemies and how to deal with them as she spies young Tommen eating an apple tart. (
A Feast for Crows
, Chapter 12 — Cersei)
Serves 8
1 recipe Blitz Puff Pastry (see
The Vale Summer Berries and Cream Tart
, steps 1–4)
1 egg, beaten
6 strips thick-cut bacon, chopped
1
⁄
4
cup apple butter
6 ounces Brie cheese, cut into
1
⁄
4
-inch slices
2 Granny Smith apples, cored, and sliced
1
⁄
4
-inch thick
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Heat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease the sheet.
- Roll the uncooked pastry out to
1
⁄
2
-inch thick and trim into a 12-inch square. Place the pastry on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the beaten egg along the edge of the pastry, leaving about a
1
⁄
2
-inch border. Fold the edges of the pastry in, making a
1
⁄
2
-inch lip around the edge of the pastry. Using a fork, pierce the center of the pastry. Cover with plastic and chill for 30 minutes. - In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until it just begins to brown. Remove from the pan and drain well.
- Spread the apple butter over the center of the puff pastry. Arrange the Brie cheese, apples, and bacon over the apple butter and dust the top with Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the apples are tender. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.
A Word of Wisdom
Brie is a cow’s milk cheese that is allowed to age and ripen for as little as a few months to as long as a few years. Brie is best when served at room temperature and can also be baked. Brie baked in a pastry crust is called brie en croute. Jam, fruit, and crackers are popular accompaniments for the soft cheese.
Bitterbridge Blackberry Tart
At his house’s seat of Bitterbridge, Lord Caswell serves an unforgettable meal to powerful and influential characters whose decisions will change the fate of the Seven Kingdoms in unpredictable ways. Such guests must be suitably fed, and blackberry tarts are a welcome side dish. You may enjoy them yourself as a fun dessert to share with friends as you discuss what you think of the events at Bitterbridge and what followed. (
A Clash of Kings
, Chapter 22 — Catelyn)
Serves 8
1 Short Crust for tarts, unbaked (see
Arya’s Apricot Crumb Tart
)
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 tablespoons sour cream
1
⁄
4
cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Blackberry Topping:
2 cups fresh blackberries
1
⁄
3
cup sugar
1
⁄
4
teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Line the tart with parchment paper or a double layer of aluminum foil and add pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove the paper and weights and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown all over. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Leave the oven on.
- In the bowl of a food processor or stand mixer, mix the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla, and flour. Process until very smooth. Refrigerate until ready to bake.
- To make blackberry topping:
In a medium saucepan, combine the blackberries, sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat until the berries have softened, about 10 minutes. - Combine the cornstarch with the water and stir into the berry mixture. Cook until thickened, about 3 minutes, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
- Remove the cheese mixture from the refrigerator and spread it into the prepared crust. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cheese mixture is lightly golden and puffed all over. Cool to room temperature, then spread the blackberry mixture on top. Chill for 1 hour before serving.
A Word of Wisdom
It may be tempting to try to warm up cold butter or cream cheese in the microwave to save time. Taking the time to slowly soften ingredients will ensure that they are uniformly softened. Microwaving can create hot pockets within the ingredient or warm it too much, ruining your creation. Take the time to do it right, warming at room temperature about 1 hour, because it is worth it!
Celebratory Peaches in Lavender Honey
Sansa Stark was locked into a life-altering event that filled her with fear and dread day in and day out. But after an unexpected change, she finds herself free once more and her delight is nearly overpowering. She rejoices with a sweet dish of Peaches in Lavender Honey, a simple, elegant, rich dish befitting her birth and youth. (
A Clash of Kings
, Chapter 65 — Sansa)
Serves 4
4 ripe peaches
1
⁄
2
cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons lavender honey
1
⁄
4
cup chopped walnuts
1
⁄
4
teaspoon grated ginger
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cut the peaches in half and remove the pits. Sprinkle the brown sugar over a nonstick baking pan. Lay the peach halves on top of the brown sugar.
- Drizzle the honey over the peach slices. Sprinkle walnuts and ginger evenly over them.
- Bake the peaches for 15 minutes or until tender. Let cool briefly, and serve while still warm.
A Word of Wisdom
True lavender honey is produced by bees that have access only to lavender nectar, but you can make lavender-infused honey at home. Just mix 6 tablespoons of fresh lavender buds and 4 cups of honey in a saucepan. Heat over medium until honey feels warm, then set temperature as low as possible for 30 minutes. Pour into hot, sanitized Mason jars. Seal in a water-bath canner for 15 minutes. (See
Last Bite of Summer Blackberry Preserves
for more about this canning method.)
King’s Landing Blood Melon Sorbet
Farmers bring a variety of fruits to King’s Landing — large, sweet, oblong blood melons included. Even when Eddard Stark knows that danger lies around him and dark times wait ahead, such smells and food can bring a sense of comfort and serenity. This cool, summery treat might have given him pause if he’d stopped to find one, but the unmistakably foreboding omen is still tied well to the name. (
A Game of Thrones
, Chapter 27 — Eddard)
Makes 1 quart
3 cups blood melon juice or watermelon juice (see step 1)
2
⁄
3
cup sugar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1
⁄
4
cup mini chocolate chips (for “seeds”)
- Remove the melon flesh from the rind, taking care to discard seeds. Purée in food processor or blender until smooth.
- Place the sugar and 1 cup of melon juice in a small pot and stir over medium heat until all of the sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool and then combine with the lemon juice and remaining melon juice. Cover and refrigerate until cool.
- Add to ice-cream maker and follow manufacturer’s instructions for freezing. Add in chocolate chips toward the end of freezing. Remove from freezer 10–15 minutes before serving to ensure that it’s soft enough to eat.
A Word of Wisdom
Cut the melon in half rather than smaller chunks before removing the flesh. Take extra care when scooping out the flesh so that you make a large “bowl” out of one half of the rind. Once the sorbet has gone through the churn cycle, pour it into the melon bowl to freeze.
Queen of Meereen’s Persimmon Crumble Ice Cream
Closeted in her Meereenese pyramid, Daenerys sits and listens and waits — for her enemies’ next move, for Drogon’s return, for the next betrayal. Bored and frustrated by the Qartheen merchant prince Xaro Xhoan Daxos, Dany can’t help but imagine his nose as a persimmon. Honoring her rare moment of levity and her guest’s unforgettable visage, this dessert would offer relief from ennui, worry, and heat for any young queen. (
A Dance with Dragons
, Chapter 2 — Daenerys)
Makes about 1 quart
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup persimmon pulp, chilled
1 cup crumbled butter cookies
- Combine cream, sugar, and vanilla extract. Pour into ice-cream maker and begin to freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.
- After 5 minutes, add the persimmon pulp. Continue freezing. After another 5 minutes, add the crumbled butter cookies. Finish freezing the ice cream, then serve.
A Word of Wisdom
Wild persimmons are ready to eat after the first hard frost. Pick them when they are mushy. It is fairly easy to squeeze the seeds and the pulp apart. If using store-bought persimmons, try to find Hachiyas. They soften when they are ripe and are preferable to Fuyus, which are crunchy like an apple.
