Authors: Chelsea Monroe-Cassel,Sariann Lehrer
A Feast of Ice and Fire: The Official Game of Thrones Companion Cookbook (A Song of Ice and Fire) (10 page)
Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Combine the garlic, parsley, thyme, and bread crumbs in a shallow bowl. Moisten the mixture with enough olive oil to hold it together, then set it aside.
Heat a large dry skillet over high heat. Put the rack of lamb, convex side down, in the skillet. With tongs, hold the meaty side against the skillet for a minute to give it a nice brown crust. Turn the rack to sear it on all sides for a total of 4 minutes. Remove the meat from the skillet and place it in a roasting pan, meat side up. Mix the flour
and vinegar together in a small bowl, paint this mixture onto the lamb, then gently apply the herbed bread crumbs, patting them to form a crust covering the meat.
and vinegar together in a small bowl, paint this mixture onto the lamb, then gently apply the herbed bread crumbs, patting them to form a crust covering the meat.
Roast the lamb until medium rare, 20 to 25 minutes (145°F internal temperature). For an extra-crispy crust, finish cooking the meat under the broiler for 2 minutes. Let the racks rest for 5 minutes.
To serve, use a carving knife to cut between the rib bones. Arrange the chops on warm serving plates. The chops are best served hot, and they will cool quickly, so you may want to carve them at the table.
Iced Blueberries in Sweet Cream
“From the Lord Commander’s own table,” Bowen Marsh told them. There were salads of spinach and chickpeas and turnip greens, and afterwards bowls of iced blueberries and sweet cream
.
—A GAME OF THRONES
Medieval Crème Bastard
Take þe whyte of Eyroun a grete hepe, & putte it on a panne ful of Mylke, & let yt boyle; þen sesyn it so with Salt an hony a lytel; þen lat hit kele, & draw it þorw a straynoure, an take fayre Cowe mylke an draw yt with-all, & seson it with Sugre …
—TWO FIFTEENTH-CENTURY COOKERY-BOOKS
Makes 4 large servings
Freezing berries: 1 hour
Prep: 15 minutes
Chilling cream: 2 to 3 hours
Freezing berries: 1 hourPrep: 15 minutes
Chilling cream: 2 to 3 hoursPairs well with
Salad at Castle Black
,
Rack of Lamb
,
Oatbread
Salad at Castle Black
,
Rack of Lamb
,
Oatbread
This recipe produces an addictive cream sauce that is simple to make and not too sweet, complementing the natural sweetness of the berries. As a treat on the Wall, where Jon Snow makes his home, we thought it particularly fitting that the recipe is called Crème Bastard. Bastard is an early form of the word
custard
, and has no connection with one’s parentage when used in a culinary context.
custard
, and has no connection with one’s parentage when used in a culinary context.
1 pint fresh blueberries
2 egg whites, slightly beaten
1 cup plus 2 teaspoons milk or cream
2 tablespoons honey
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons sugar
We prefer to start with fresh blueberries rather than frozen ones, because many frozen berries are often processed improperly. To get started, sort your blueberries, setting aside any overripe ones for immediate snacking. The key is to freeze the berries flat, using a plate or baking sheet in the freezer. After the berries are frozen, they can be transferred to a bag and stored for up to six months.
While the berries are freezing, combine the egg whites and 1 cup of the milk in a pan on the stovetop, and bring to just under a boil, whisking all the while. Let it simmer for around 5 minutes, then add the honey and salt. After simmering for another minute or two, strain the mixture into a bowl. Add the remaining milk and sugar. Pour the sauce into a pitcher or serving dish and chill; it will thicken as it chills.
Pour the cooled sweet cream over the frozen berries to serve.
Modern Sweet Cream
Serves 4
Freezing berries, chilling cream: 1 to 2 hours
Cooking cream: 20 minutes
Freezing berries, chilling cream: 1 to 2 hoursCooking cream: 20 minutes
Pairs well with
Stewed Rabbit
,
Roman
Buttered Carrots
,
Honeyed Chicken
Stewed Rabbit
,
Roman
Buttered Carrots
,
Honeyed Chicken
This modern version of the dish is really just a sweeter, creamier version of the medieval preparation. It makes a refreshing dessert or a decadent breakfast. If the cream is allowed to thicken over the double boiler, custard is made.
1 pint fresh blueberries, frozen as For
Medieval Crème Bastard
Medieval Crème Bastard
½ pint heavy whipping cream
½ cup sugar
5 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Bowl of ice water
While the berries are freezing, combine the cream with half of the sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a strong simmer—not a boil! Remove the saucepan from the heat.
Whisk the egg yolks and other half of the sugar in a bowl with a standing or hand mixer. Add the vanilla extract.
After mixing for 1 minute, begin
slowly
pouring the cream mixture down the side of the bowl, whisking rapidly to avoid curdling the eggs. After all the cream has been added, pour the mixture into a glass bowl that you can set atop a saucepan or into the top of a double boiler. Heat water in the bottom pan over medium heat and cook the sauce over it, stirring constantly, until it thickens to a pourable cream, about 10 minutes.
slowly
pouring the cream mixture down the side of the bowl, whisking rapidly to avoid curdling the eggs. After all the cream has been added, pour the mixture into a glass bowl that you can set atop a saucepan or into the top of a double boiler. Heat water in the bottom pan over medium heat and cook the sauce over it, stirring constantly, until it thickens to a pourable cream, about 10 minutes.
Set the glass bowl or top of the double boiler into the ice water to stop the cooking process. Stir the cream for 5 minutes to cool it, then pour it into a small pitcher and refrigerate.
Pour the cooled sweet cream over the frozen berries to serve.
Mulled Wine
The Old Bear was particular about his hot spiced wine. So much cinnamon and so much nutmeg and so much honey, not a drop more. Raisins and nuts and dried berries, but no lemon, that was the rankest sort of southron heresy.…
—A CLASH OF KINGS
Medieval Mulled Wine
Hippocras. Take four ounces of very fine cinnamon, two ounces of fine cassia flowers, an ounce of selected Mecca ginger, an ounce of grains of paradise, and a sixth [of an ounce] of nutmeg and galingale combined. Crush them all together. Take a good half ounce of this powder and eight ounces of sugar [(which thus makes Sweet Powder)], and mix it with a quart of wine
.
—LE
V
IANDIER
D
E
T
AILLEVENT, 14TH CENTURY
Serves 4
Prep: 5 minutes
Cooking: 20 minutes minimum
Prep: 5 minutesCooking: 20 minutes minimumPairs well with
Beef and Bacon Pie
,
Aurochs Roasted with Leeks
,
Medieval
Honey Biscuits
Beef and Bacon Pie
,
Aurochs Roasted with Leeks
,
Medieval
Honey Biscuits
This recipe produces a hearty mulled wine, rich in spices. It is heavy and strong, without the sweetness of many modern mulled wines. To accommodate the Old Bear’s preferences, we added raisins, cranberries, and almonds to the 14th-century recipe, creating the ideal drink for those who plan to walk the Wall at night.
1 bottle inexpensive red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Pinot Noir are all good choices)
1½ tablespoons
Poudre Douce
Poudre Douce
Handful each of dried cranberries, raisins, and almonds
Bring the wine to a simmer. Stir in spice, nuts, and dried fruits, and continue to simmer for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. After sitting, the spice mixture will create a thick residue that will settle to the bottom.
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