After episode 3.6, where Sam longingly describes this stew, I decided to finally get the venison and have a go at it. Fortunately, it coincided with a bit of a cooler spell here in Boston, which suited the heartiness of this stew perfectly.

While this particular description of the stew is fairly limited, there are others throughout the books that contain other tidbits. In other passages, descriptions of Hobb’s venison stew includes carrots and barley, and in the south, it’s stewed with beer. So, everything went into the pot, along with a few more additions of my own.

I used spent grain from brewing (see link below) for the barley component, because I can’t imagine the Night’s Watch letting anything go to waste. It gave the stew a unique texture, and was the source of some of those black flecks you see in the photo. The bacon, I’ll admit, was also my addition, but I don’t think anyone who has read the books can fault me for that. Everything tastes better with bacon. :)

The resulting stew is thick, hearty, and filling- just the thing for a cool night in the North. It’s wonderful with a hunk of rustic bread and a sharp cheese, and a flagon of the same beer that went into the recipe.

Venison Stew Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 strips bacon
• 1 lb. venison (I used ground, but use any small cut you like)
• 2 Tbs. butter, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1/2 cup peas
• 3 cups broth
• 1 bottle dark beer (12 oz/335 ml)
• 1 cup spent grain, or other barley of your choice, cooked according to its own directions
• 1 cup small boiler onions, peeled
• 1/2 tsp. smoked salt
• 1/2 tsp. savory, or thyme
• 1 Tbs. flour

Cook the bacon in a medium frying pan. Take out the cooked bacon, reserving the grease, and chop the bacon into small pieces. Brown the venison meat in the bacon grease, then pour it all into a medium pot, along with the bacon bits. In the same frying pan, melt 1 Tbs. butter. Add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes, until it’s not quite browned. Add the carrots and peas, stir to coat with butter, then pour in 1 cup of broth. Cover, and simmer for a few minutes, until the carrots are tender. Add this mixture, along with the rest of the broth, the beer, barley, onions, and seasoning.

If you’d like the stew to be a little thicker, make a roux: melt the remaining 1 Tbs. butter and add to it the 1 Tbs. flour. Stir to combine over medium heat. When the butter-flour looks bubbly and golden (under a minute), begin to add ladlesful of broth, whisking to combine. This should create a thick mixture that can be poured back into your stew. Cook the stew for at least 1 1/2 hours on medium-low heat. Enjoy with some sharp cheese and rustic bread. If you’re using spent grains in the stew, consider also using them in the bread!

Steak and Kidney Pie, from the Winds of Winter

Thoughts:

Huzzah, and rejoice! Another recipe from the Winds of Winter, pulled from a previous excerpt chapter on GRRM’s site.

I admit that I was a tad nervous to make this pie. I’ve had steak and kidney pie before, and loved it, but I’ve also heard reports of kidneys being far too gamey to be enjoyable. However, I was determined to power through, so I found some really nice lamb kidneys at the ever-awesome Savenor’s, and set to work.

I couldn’t be happier with the finished pie. I had a slice for each meal of the day (it makes an amazing breakfast), and was delighted each time. Because the meats are stewed in ale, as per the quote, it’s tender, juicy, and tumbled in a rich gravy. I’ve seen versions with veggies and such mixed in, but I liked the no-nonsense mixture in this pie, which is pretty much just meat.

Recipe for Steak and Kidney Pie

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb. quality lamb kidney (about 4 kidneys)
• 2 lb stew beef, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 bottle ale
• 1 1/2 cup beef stock
• 1 medium onion, diced

Pastry ingredients:

• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp. coarse salt
• 1 stick butter
• ~1/2 cup cold water
• 1/4 cup milk for glaze, or 1 egg, beaten

Cut the kidneys into small pieces, around 1″, avoiding the hard white parts around the middle. In medium heat oil, sear the kidney for a couple of seconds, then add everything else. Cover and simmer for an hour and a half, or until the gravy has thickened. Allow to cool while you roll out the pastry.

Combine the flour and salt, then rub or cut in the butter until it resembles a coarse breadcrumb mixture. Gradually add enough water to pull the whole together. Place in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes.

Divide the pastry dough in two, and roll out to two rounds, about 1/8″ thick. Place one layer of dough in a pie pan, then fill with the cooled meat mixture. Wet the edges, then place the second layer of dough over top. Trim excess dough off the sides, then fold under and seal. Brush with egg or milk, and bake at 400F for around 40 minutes, or until the top is a golden brown. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Near the end of the month, I attended an SCA brewing event, which was a blast. I got some great feedback on the bottles I brought, and got to chat with some really knowledgeable brewers about esoteric brewing. My housemates are thrilled that I talked at someone else for a change! I was able to have two of my brews judged, and they did well enough that I’m now a novice in the guild. I probably won’t be able to submit more for judging until July, but I’m excited to be able to climb the ranks, and improve my research and documentation skills. It’s also got me eager to try zany new brews, like a Roman wine made with seawater, and finally track down a good historical braggot recipe. I also started up the FB page for Game of Brews, for those who’d like to keep better tabs on what I’m making, as well as join the discussion and brainstorming for future projects! New Posts:

• Last Hearth Heather Ale – placed well at a recent brewing competition
• Ginger Wine, c. 1690 – with some carbonation, next version will be great
• Greywater Watch Gruit – a hopless ale with herbs

Started:

• White Metheglin from Lothlorien (yep, jumping fictional boundaries)
• Dandelion Wine
• Violatium II
• Spiced Cider

See that pitcher on the bottom right? The one with what could only be lemonsweet with strawberries in it? That’s the special at the Inn this week.

Strawberry Lemonsweet

Now, I’ll admit that when I’m watching the show, I obsessively look at the dishware, glassware, and plates of food. When I saw this, I had to try it! I’ve used an adapted lemonsweet recipe from the cookbook for this, and the result is a perfect beverage to see you through spring and into the long days of summer. It’s sweet, with a citrus punch, but also with wonderful subtle flavors imparted by the herbs and strawberries. The longer it sits to infuse, the pinker and more flavorful it will get!

Strawberry Lemonsweet Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 orange
• 4 lemons
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1-2 Tbs. bruised thyme, rosemary, or mint, to taste
• 4 cups water
• 1 pint strawberries, stemmed and sliced

Zest half an orange and half a lemon. Juice all the fruits, and add the juice, zest, sugar, herbs, and water. Whisk or pour into a bottle and shake to mix. Strain into a serving pitcher, add the strawberries. The berries will gradually add color and flavor to the rest of the beverage, making it even more delicious! Garnish each glass with an extra slice or two of strawberry, and a small sprig of herb.

In season three, he bakes and gives to Arya a small loaf of bread that looks like a direwolf:

Well, sort of.

But as soon as I saw this episode, I knew I would have to try my hand at making some of my own.

I first tried making this with ordinary bread dough (a variation on the cookbook oatbread), but it not only didn’t retain those nice crisp edges, but ended up looking like gross lumpy Jabba-wolves. So I opted instead for a scone recipe, which worked way better.

Recipe for Direwolf Scones

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 Tbs. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup cream or milk, or more as needed
• dried currants, for eyes

Combine all dry ingredients, and then gradually add in the milk while stirring. If you need a bit more milk, add it until you have one cohesive and soft dough. Press the dough out on your work surface to a thickness of around 3/4″ thick. Using a sharp paring knife, cut out a rough wolf shape. Don’t worry if it’s a little ugly: Hot Pie’s was rustic as well!

Cut extra strips for additional legs and press them onto the main wolf shape, or leave them with just two legs. Cut a criss-cross shape for teeth and press a currant into the dough for an eye. If you like, texture the tops with the tines of a fork.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350F for 10-12 minutes, or until the tops are a nice golden brown.

In the head version, I snipped the edges of the head to make it look like tufts of fur, and used slivered almonds for the teeth. Rawr!

And for extra kicks, here I am making these wolves on MTV Geek’s “Cooking with Thrones” episode 3 recap!

Hand-washing Water

There is a curious medieval custom that evolved through the ages of having scented water on dining tables with which to wash one’s hands. I remember as a child being delighted that my grandmother had china finger-bowls, even though they were never used. Although this doesn’t make an obvious appearance in Song of Ice and Fire, I imagine that it would fit very well with the more well-heeled families. The Lannisters would use expensive ingredients such as ambergris, while the Tyrells might use rose petals, the Starks juniper and spruce tips, and so on. 

The basic version is a fun, easy recipe to make, and adds a fun upscale element to a dinner party! It makes enough for two small bowls, and is a pale green-yellow color with the slightest of pleasant herbal and citrus elements.

Recipes for Hand Washing Waters

TO MAKE WATER TO WASH THE HANDS AT TABLE. Boil sage, then strain the water, and let cool until it is luke-warm. Or instead you can use camomile or marjoram, or rosemary : and cook with the peel of an orange. And also laurel leaves [bay leaves] are good for this. -Le Menagier de Paris, 1393

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup fresh sage, chamomile, marjoram, rosemary, bay leaves, etc.
• 1 heaping Tbs. orange peel

Here’s another later recipe that calls for distilling the liquid, which is a different approach as it seems to make a kind of concentrate for scenting water; I particularly like the quirky pairing of lavender and cloves:

This is an excerpt from Delights for Ladies (England, 1609)

An excellent hand water or washing water very cheape. Take a gallon of faire water, one handfull of Lavender flowers, a few Cloves and some Orace powder, and foure ounces of Benjamin: distill the water in an ordinarie leaden Still. You may distill a second water by a new infusion of water upon the seces: a little of this will sweeten a bason of faire water for your table.

Medieval Cream Tarts

“If you did not eat so many creamcakes you would not have such dreams.  Rich foods are not for girls your age, when your humors are so unbalanced.  Maester Toman says — ”
“I hate Maester Toman,” Teora said.  Then she bolted from the table, leaving her lady mother to make apologies for her. -The Winds of Winter, excerpt chapter

Thoughts:

Yep, this is your first recipe from Winds of Winter.

But don’t get too excited- it’s from a sample chapter that GRRM put up online several months ago. Sadly, I don’t get a better a preview of the food in the next book than any other fans. This recipe, though, was too good to put off.

Because they are bite-sized and not overly sweet, these tarts are dangerously addictive. They are made up of a sweet crust and what is essentially a custard filling. I’m not usually a fan of adding rosewater to food, but in this, the addition is so subtle that it helps round out the flavors, rather than clashing with them. An assortment of toppings finish off an awesome dessert, and make for a flashy presentation.

If anyone has a great suggestion for a modern version, I’d love to hear it!

Medieval Cream Tarts Recipe

Makes about 4 dozen mini tarts

For three tarts, which should each be about a foot wide, take one quart of the best cream that you can find, and put it in a pan over the fire. And put two eggs, which are well beaten, into it, and when it begins to boil, then take six more eggs and let them be well beaten and put them into it, and some good flour and pour it slowly into the pan. And one should stir it constantly, so that it does not burn. After that, when the eggs have been poured in, throw a quarter of a pound of fresh butter into it and let it simmer together, until it becomes thick. Afterwards let it cool, and when it is cold, then put it into three pastry shells, each of which is a foot wide. And let it bake in the tart pan. If you would put it straight away on the table, then sprinkle a quarter pound of sugar over all three, together with a little rose water. And one should serve it forth while it is yet warm.  -Das Kuchbuch der Sabina Welserin, 16th century

Cook’s Notes: I’ve halved the original recipe, and instead of making large tarts, opted for much smaller versions, which would better tempt a child with a sweet tooth.

Ingredients for pastry: 

• 3 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup warm water
• pinch of saffron, or a single drop of yellow food coloring

Ingredients for Filling:

• 2 cups cream
• 1 eggs, plus 3 more eggs
• pinch of cardamom
• pinch of cinnamon
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1 tsp. rose water
• 2 Tbs. sugar for dusting
• garnish with your choice of crushed pistachios, candied citrus, etc.

Make up the pastry shells: Combine the flour and sugar. Let the saffron soak in the warm water for about 5 minutes, until the water has taken on a slight yellow tint. Add this to the dry mixture a small amount at a time, until it has become a large lump of dough. Roll out the dough to a little under 1/4″ thickness, and cut into 2″ rounds. Press these into a mini muffin pan, and bake for around 5 minutes at 350F. Remove from pan and allow to cool.

For the Filling: Combine the cream and one beaten egg in a medium saucepan. Bring slowly to a simmer. In a separate bowl, beat the remaining eggs. While whisking furiously, gradually pour in about 1 cup of the cream- this tempers the eggs so you don’t scramble them. Pour this whole mixture back into the pot. Add the spices, butter, and rose water, and stir, as it thickens. When it has thickened appreciably, remove from heat and let cool.

Spoon the filling into the prepared shells, dust with sugar, and top with your choice of garnish.

The brews struggled with the chilly temperatures of the late winter, made worse by a lack of insulation on the floor, and cheap windows. I tried a variety of solutions, ranging from electric heating pads to the occasional warm water soak in a filled sink. The basic solution, though, seemed to be to keep the brews up on the counter near the stove, so they could get some warmth from my daily baking. I have very understanding housemates, who patiently shift the carboys ever time they need to cook something on the stovetop. :)

The burnt honey mead is finally ticking down to its final stage, as is a quirky apple wine recipe. I have a small batch of blackberry mead that will take some time yet, but tastes great so far. I tasted the first bottle of a strange cold-mash oat ale, and it was not as unpleasant as I’d feared.

I cracked open several other bottles over Easter, and should be able to finish off those posts soon. Among that selection is my breakfast stout, a concord grape mead, a few cordials, and whatever else is kicking around downstairs. Then I have to prep for a small brewing competition in April, and make sure that none of my carboys are empty going into a new month!

New Posts:

•  Maple Cider, natural fermentation
• Dried Elderberry Cordial, 1 month turnaround
• Elderberry-Lemon Shortbread, using berries from above recipe

Started:

• Imitation Port, c. 1829
• Counterfeit Malvoisie
• Honey Cider
• unnamed spiced ale

Thoughts:

I didn’t have any partridge on hand for this recipe, but I did have some pheasant and chicken left over from a birthday dinner, so I decided to use that instead.

It may not look like much on the plate, but the taste of this breakfast is incomparable.  On somewhat of a whim, I chose to place the dish on a slice of toast, making it a bit more breakfast-centered. This was a great way to enjoy it, but I could also see how it would be a wonderful and hearty meal dished up in a wooden bowl, too.

The rich, savory gravy with bits of shredded meat in it, is lightly but warmly spiced, giving it an old-world feel. A soft poached egg on top, the yolk of which runs into the gravy and toast, makes each bite creamy. All in all, it is a bit of an involved breakfast, but amazingly delicious and unique, and certainly worth trying at least once.

Proposed Location?

Anywhere in Westeros. All it needs is some game birds, or even chicken, so it would suit most regions. Perhaps not Dorne, but I could easily see it being served in Winterfell, the Reach, King’s Landing, and on the Wall.

Recipe for Crazy Historical Poached Eggs

To Poach Eggs. Take a dozen of new laid Eggs and flesh of four or five Partridges, or other; mince it so smal as you can season it with a few beaten Cloves, Mace, and Nutmeg, into a Silver Dish, with a Ladlefull or two of the Gravy of Mutton, wherein two or three Anchoves are dissolved; then set it a stewing on a fire of Char-coals; and after it is half stewed, as it boyles break in your Eggs one by one , and as you break them, pour away most part of the whites, and with one end of your Egg-shel, make a place in your dish of meat, and therein put your yolks of your Eggs round in order amongst your meat, and so let them stew till your Eggs be enough, then grate in a little Nutmeg, and the juyce of a couple of Oranges; have a care none of the seeds go in, wipe your dish and garnish your dish, with four or five whole Onyons, &c. – Compleat Cook, 1655

Cook’s Notes: I’ve somewhat adapted the recipe to better suit a modern pantry. Since most of us don’t have a pot of mutton gravy simmering away on the stovetop, I’ve included simple instructions for a chicken-based gravy made from leftovers. I’ve also omitted some of the stranger ingredients, such as onion garnish, orange juice, and anchovies, although I could certainly see the latter being a tasty addition. It made me wonder if some trace of this dish might date back to Ancient Rome, when almost all food had fish in it…

Ingredients:

• ~6 eggs, for poaching
• 1 leftover roast chicken
• pinch each ground mace, nutmeg, and clove
• chicken broth
• 4 Tbs. butter
• 4 Tbs. flour
• salt and pepper to taste
• slices of toasted bread

The Night Before:

Strip all the usable meat from the chicken carcass and lay aside. Put the bones in a large pot, cover with water, and simmer for several hours. Strain into a clean container and place in the fridge overnight.

The Next Morning:

Skim off and discard any fat that has collected at the top of the broth.
To make the gravy, melt the butter in a saucepan, and add the flour to it, stirring the two together. Let this cook for a minute or two, until it is golden and bubbling. While whisking the flour-butter, add a ladle of broth. The mixture should thicken quickly. Continue adding broth until it seems to stop thickening.

Shred the meat, and season with salt and spices. Ideally, you’ll have a couple of cups of shredded meat. Combine the meat with the gravy in a saucepan, and place over medium heat. As it starts to bubble, make a series of small divots in the broth, and carefully crack the eggs into the mixture.

Gently spoon hot gravy over the eggs, so that it cooks on top as well as underneath. The challenge in poaching an egg in gravy is that it’s not as visible as when done in water, so it may take a couple of tries before you get the hang of it. It should be finished when the white is set, and the yolk is still soft.

When the egg is done, scoop it out of the pan along with a generous portion of the meaty gravy. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then serve on top of toast, or in a bowl.

Depending on how many you are serving, you may need to bolster the gravy mixture with extra broth, in order for the liquid to be deep enough to properly poach the eggs.

Celebratory Lemoncakes!!

March 27th marks the 2nd year bloggiversary of Inn at the Crossroads, and what an awesome two years they’ve been! I never dreamed when Sariann and I started this blog that it would go so far, or that I’d still be here two years on.

March of last year witnessed an epic S2 premiere party, held at the Asgard pub in Cambridge. Two full days of cooking (including a suckling pig) enabled us to feed more than 20 guests. The spread was ridiculously elaborate, and bits of it can be seen here, amidst my nervous eye-widening. ;)

The end of May brought boxes of finished cookbooks to our doorstep. I cannot begin to describe the amazing feeling of seeing all those months of hard work turned into a gorgeous, real, physical book.

The summer was full of interviews and signings for the book, the most notable, perhaps, being San Diego Comic Con. I’d been once about 10 years ago, but this year, going as a “somebody”, was unbelievably cool. We got to dart around the hall before the crazy masses of people were let in, and met a number of authors, illustrators, and all around creative people. Oh, and then there was the part where we had drinks with GRRM, which was only interrupted when he posed for a photo with a visiting R2 unit. (true story- the R2 wore his hat)

Over the winter, I launched Game of Brews, IatC’s sister site for brewing. I’ve loved taking my approach to historical cookery and applying it to brewing, and the results, if I may say so, have been delicious. The forum is up and running, and is a place for fans and brewers to exchange ideas, recipes, suggestions for ingredients, etc. I hope in the coming months to start a section on labels, so any of you artistically minded folks out there, keep an eye open.

And now, just in time for Season 3 viewing parties, I’ve launched a party planning ebook. It was a blast to put together, and I hope will help others bring a little immersive fantasy oomph to their own celebrations. And really, who doesn’t want to know how to say, “That’s what she said!” in Dothraki? :)

In the last year alone, nearly 300,000 visitors have stepped into the Inn, and more are arriving every day. The cookbook is being translated into 3 other languages (Spanish, German, Polish), and has sold over 20k copies so far. You all are the best foodies and fans that anyone could ask for!

Below is a photo selection of the past year’s highlights. I’ve included events, recipes, and some of my favorite food photos. I’ve got some new things up my sleeves for the coming year, so be sure to keep checking in!

And above all, happy cooking!