NW – Fruit Compote

I don’t know what the weather’s like where you are, but here in New England we are getting some seriously unseasonably chilly, rainy weather.

Not. A. Fan.

So naturally, I have been craving stews, pasta, and other hearty, filling dishes. In Westeros, that means looking toward recipes from the North, from Winterfell and Castle Black, which is where today’s simple recipe comes from.

This easy dish can be served either alongside a meat course or as a dessert in its own right. It makes use of ingredients commonly found in Westeros, even at the Wall: dried fruit, a few spices, and a touch of tangy vinegar. The warmth of the cinnamon and the bite of small ginger bits mixed among the fruit would be a welcome part of a meal in the frigid north, while the tender stewed fruits an infrequent treat. Consider serving with pork, beef, or lamb.

Night’s Watch Compote Recipe

Prep: 10 minutes – Cooking: 30 minutes

Makes: about 4 servings

Ingredients:

2-3 apples and/or pears
1/4 cup dried dates, diced
1/4 cup dried figs, stemmed and quartered
1/4 cup dried currants
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 heaped Tbs. diced candied ginger
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 c white wine
2 Tbs. white wine vinegar
1/2 c sugar
water to cover

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan, and add just enough water to cover. Cook on medium low heat for about 30 minutes, or until the fruit is soft, but not mushy, and most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove the cinnamon stick, and transfer the compote to a serving dish or clean jar. It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week. Best served warm.

Elder Scrolls – Kwama Egg Quiche

You voted, and I cooked!

In my (relatively) recent Twitter poll, I asked which of several fictional worlds had recipes that you’d like to make in real life. We got a good response and with many more folks weighing in on Facebook, the clear winner was Elder Scrolls, with Star Wars not too far behind. I’ve got some Star Wars recipes coming up as well, because I just couldn’t help myself, but in the meantime, here’s the first of the Elder Scrolls recipes!

Now I have to preface this by confessing that I’m generally not a quiche person. It’s something about the texture, and with the occasional addition of wilted spinach or some other leafy green, I just can’t do it. This one, though, was pretty darn tasty, and for the first time probably in my life, I had a second helping of quiche. And as an added bonus, the ingredients are all from an in-game recipe that can be found in Elder Scrolls Online. Here’s hoping this is the first of many successful and tasty dishes from Tamriel – check out the list of other contenders on the new ES page!

Kwama Egg Quiche

Ingredients

1 cup flour
pinch of salt
1/4 cup olive oil
cold water, enough for dough
1 Tbs. salted butter
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium tomatoes, 1 chopped, 2 sliced, divided
one medium kwama egg, or 4 chicken eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions

Start off by making up the dough- Whisk the salt and olive oil into the flour, then gradually add just enough water to bring the mixture together.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Roll out the pie dough to about 1/8″ thickness, and gently drape over a tart or pie pan. Press into the bottom and sides, and trim off any excess. Prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork to prevent it from bubbling up.

Melt the butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for several minutes, until slightly browned. Add the tomatoes and cook for another few minutes, until the tomatoes are soft, but not yet falling apart.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cheese and salt. Pour this mixture into the pastry shell, then top evenly with the tomatoes. Bake for about an hour, or until the top is golden and puffy. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Highgarden Apple Roses

Thoughts:

The people have spoken, and the winner of my recent Twitter poll for the next recipe’s region was overwhelmingly Highgarden. I guess we are all in the mood for some green growing things and flowers after winter, huh? :)

These stunning little show-stopping desserts are actually easier to make than you might guess. You may remember seeing them as part of Margaery Tyrell’s ideal meal from last summer, but I’ve never quite stopped thinking about them since. They’re just beautiful as an addition to a feast spread, but they’re also a nice surprise dessert to a simple dinner.

The variations presented simply by the choice of jelly are numerous- personally, I really love a version with apple cider jelly, but consider also a rosehip jam (perfect for Highgarden), or a redcurrant, or even a thin layer of lemoncurd. Try them out, and see what you think!

Highgarden Apple Rose Recipe

Makes: about a dozen, depending on size

Prep: 45 minutes Baking: 20-25 minutes

Pie dough:

2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 stick salted butter
cold water

Ingredients:

2-3 apples
1 cup water
splash of cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
pinch each cinnamon and nutmeg
3 tablespoons jelly
Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

Start off by making your pie dough so it has time to chill: combine the flour and sugar, then rub in the butter until you have only small pieces remaining. Gradually add in the cold water until you have a dough that comes together. Fold over on itself several times to encourage layering, then wrap in plastic and chill for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a standard muffin tin, and/or a mini muffin tin (I like making at least two different sizes for a nice look on the plate).

Combine the water, vinegar, brown sugar, and spices in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.

Slice each apple in half down the stem end, the scoop out the core using a sharp knife or the small end of a melon-baller. Slice the apples as thin as you can, then pop them into the prepared pan on the stovetop to keep them from browning. Stir the apple slices as you cook them for around 5-10 minutes, until they are starting to turn translucent but still hold their shape. Strain them out of the pan, and set aside to cool somewhat.

Take the pie dough out of the fridge and roll out half at a time on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4″ thick, and about 10″ wide (you can do shorter strips, or cut long strips in half if using a mini muffin pan). Cut into long strips about 1 1/2″ wide. Spread a very thin layer of jelly on each strip, then begin layering the apple slices on the top half of each strip, as below:

Fold the bottom of the strip up over the top, then gently coil the apples and dough into a cinnamon roll shape, which should give you that lovely rose shape on the top. Move each finished rose to the prepared muffin pan, then continue until all the dough and apples are used up.

Bake for around 25-30 minutes, or until the dough starts to turn golden. These apple roses are best served warm, and are also delicious with a little ice cream or custard sauce on the side.

Apple Rose with custard and redcurrants

Roasted Quince

Thoughts:

When I recently posted on Facebook about finally snagging some quinces at the grocery store, a number of you chimed in with suggestions, ideas, and thoughts about how best to enjoy these quirky fruits. But one simple description stuck with me: baked with heavy cream. I just had to make it, so thanks, Lydia! :)

The result is a tender and easily prepared dessert. Rather than bringing the dish down, its simplicity speaks through the ages, especially in a day and age when dessert has been largely relegated to something ordered in restaurants, where it is fancy and complicated (don’t get me wrong- I always order dessert!). But why stop there? It would also make a divine breakfast for a lazy weekend morning. When prepared this way I don’t think the fruit itself has as much flavor as an apple, but it has a bit more body, which perfectly showcases the array of toppings. The nuts offer a counter-texture with their crunchiness, and the honey and cream elevate the whole thing to something just shy of showy. In short? It’s delish!

So, the next time you spy quince in the store, grab ’em, and give this a try!

Where in Westeros?

Just about anywhere, I’d suspect. Can’t you just see the children at Winterfell tucking into this after a morning playing out in the snow? Or the ladies in King’s Landing while they titter about the latest court gossip? The variety of toppings is endless: walnuts in the north, pistachios in the south, and perhaps even more exotic additions from across the Narrow Sea in port cities. It’s a lovely cold weather dish, and let me tell you: it makes Winter a whole lot more appealing!

Recipe for Roasted Quince

Ingredients:

2-3 quinces, sliced in half and cored
2 Tbs. salted butter, room temperature
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1/4 cup each pistachios, walnuts, chopped small
honey and heavy cream, to serve

For the baking dish:

1 cup water
2-3 bay leaves

Preheat the oven to 350F. Place the quince halves, cut side up, in a baking dish. Cream together the butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar, then divide the mixture evenly between the fruits. Pour the water and bay leaves into the baking dish around the fruit, and move to the oven. Bake for around an hour, or until the fruit is soft when poked with a fork or skewer.

To serve, carefully move the hot quinces to serving plates. Top with the chopped nuts, then pour over a bit of honey and heavy cream. Enjoy!

Acorn Cakes

Thoughts:

Now, don’t get too excited by the term “cake”, because these are much more like flapjacks, johnnycakes, or pancakes that a proper fluffy birthday cake sort of a treat. They’re based on a recipe from 1786 for “Indian Slapjack”, from the book, “American Cookery”, one of the earliest American recipe collections.

I tried a couple techniques with this until I determined that, like many things, they were best fried. Ideally, the slightly nutty flavor of the acorns is there, provided that the de-tannining process didn’t strip too much of it out. Even my very finely ground corn meal retained a little crunch and texture, and the eggs held everything together.

As with many breakfast items, it’s all about what you put on it. Honey, maple syrup, and fruit jellies all go beautifully with these little flapjacks, but you could certainly improvise, as well.

Where in Westeros?

Anywhere with oak trees, potentially. I suspect, though, from the amount of labor that goes into processing acorns, that only those without many other options would go through the trouble. It seems just the sort of thing the Liddles, Norreys, or Flints might make around the heart in their wild northern homes.

Acorn Cake Recipe

Cook’s note: I liked the ratio of 2/3 acorn meal to 1/3 corn meal. For info on how to process acorns into flour, check out my previous post on the topic.

Ingredients:

1 pint meal, mixed acorn meal and corn, ground fine
4 spoons whole meal flour
pinch of salt
4 eggs
warm water, enough to mix
1/4 cup suet, lard, or butter

Mix together the dry ingredients. Add the eggs, then gradually begin adding water until you have a mixture the consistency of pancake batter, that can be dropped into a hot pan in spoonfuls.

Melt a little of the fat in a skillet or frying pan over medium-low heat. Drop a couple of spoonfuls into the hot pan, allowing them enough room to spread out. Let the cakes cook for at least 30 seconds, then peek underneath to see if they are done. When the first side is lightly browned, flip the cakes and cook for the same amount of time on the other side. Remove to a plate, and repeat with the remaining batter.

The cakes are best eaten fresh from the pan, but can be gently reheated the next day, as well.

Baked Currant Doughnuts

Thoughts:

This recipe is based on one from Clear Flour Bakery, near which I used to live. It makes amazing doughnuts, albeit ones that are still a little inferior to those from the bakery itself. You could get me to wake up at any hour of the morning to get some of those doughnuts. But now living several hours away, getting a hold of the genuine article is no longer practical.

These delectable morning treats have always struck me as oddly medieval. Between those familiar cinnamon and nutmeg, and the prolific currants, they tick several of the standard medieval ingredient boxes. The triple risings make them soft and incredibly fluffy, and I will admit to eating several myself. Every time. They’re SO good. Even the residents of The Inn who don’t especially like sweets enjoy these, since the main sugar content is however much you dust the outsides with.

Proposed Location?

The expense of the spices would point toward one of the more well-heeled households, while the dried currants point toward something somewhat northern. I could see them at Winterfell or Riverrun, but even as far south as King’s Landing or Oldtown. Each location or family cook would probably add their own special ingredients to them, such as candied lemon peel in the capitol, or a dash of rosewater for the Tyrells. And as I type those thoughts, I might have to try some of those variants… strictly for research purposes, you understand. ;)

What do you think would be good?

Baked Currant Doughnut Recipe

Makes about 10 doughnuts

Cook’s Notes: This recipe looks daunting, but the hardest part is waiting for the doughnuts to rise. If I’m serving them with breakfast, I like to start the dough the night before- I let it go through the first rise, then punch it down and leave it somewhere with a neutral temperature to rise the second time overnight. In the morning, all I have to do is form into shapes, let rise the final time, and bake!

Ingredients:

1 cup dried currants
1 1/2 tsp. instant yeast
1/4 cup granulated sugar plus 1 cup for dusting
3/4 cup milk, warmed
3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 large egg
1 stick soft butter, plus 4 -6 Tbs. additional melted butter
pinch of salt

In a medium bowl, cover the currants with hot water and let stand until softened, 20 minutes. Meanwhile in a small bowl, stir the yeast with 2 tablespoons of warm water and a pinch of sugar and let stand until foamy about 5 minutes.

In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg, then the yeast and spices. Drain the currants, and stir into the batter. Gradually add the flour, alternating with the milk, until the dough comes together. It should start to take on a smooth consistency that pulls away from the sides of the bowl; if need be, either don’t add all the flour, or add a little extra until you reach the right kind of dough.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for several minutes, or until the dough bounces back when poked. Grease a large bowl and place the kneaded dough into it. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let stand in a warm place until it’s doubled in size. Punch it down, re-form it into a ball, and place back in the bowl. Let it rise again until doubled.

Grease a couple of baking sheets with butter. Divide your dough into 10 pieces, and pinch them into ball shapes. Split these between the baking sheets, flattening them slightly. Using a small round cutter, cut out the center of each disc of dough and place in the empty spaces on the baking sheet. Cover the dough again, and let rise in a warm place for one final hour.

Bake at 400F for about 20 minutes- the doughnut holes might need less time, so keep an eye on them. The doughnuts are done when they are a rich golden color. Remove from oven, allow to cool for a few minutes until they can be handled, then brush with melted butter and dip in granulated sugar. Dig in!

Honeycake with Blackberries

“In the Queen’s Ballroom they broke their fast on honeycakes baked with blackberries and nuts, gammon steaks, bacon, fingerfish crisped in breadcrumbs, autumn pears, and a Dornish dish of onions, cheese, and chopped eggs cooked up with fiery peppers.” -A Storm of Swords

Thoughts:

Valentine’s Day has always been a big deal in my family, probably second only to Christmas. Many years, it involves a big dinner, heart confetti, and assorted family and friends. This was a wonderful way to grow up, because it completely did away with the element of single/not single that can be so oppressive, especially during the dark wintery month of February. Therefore, I suggest making a batch of these for anyone in your life, whether it’s a friend, spouse, child, or what have you. After all, there are a lotta kinds of loves out there! Personally, I love how adding cornmeal to what would normally be a dessert somehow makes it suitable for breakfast. They’re small sized, letting you feel fine about scooting more than one onto your plate. They’re not too sweet, and baked with berries and nuts, not just topped with them. Honestly, they’re more like muffins, although they look as appetizing as a platter of cupcakes. The cream cheese frosting is an added layer of semi-sweet, creamy goodness. I had to curb my creativity a little with this recipe. I’d wanted to try a sort of thinly layered cake with a honey frosting in between, with nuts and berries on top. But the original says the cake is baked with berries and nuts, so I had to obey. :) This version might not be as elegant as what I had originally imagined, but it’s a delicious alternative!

Recipe for Honeycake with Blackberries and Nuts

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
1 cup milk
pinch salt
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 cup corn meal
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 pint blackberries
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

Cream the butter and honey, then add the egg and milk. Gradually mix in the salt and baking powder, followed by the cornmeal and flour. Stir in the nuts and blackberries, smooshing the berris with the mixing spoon to roughly break them up for easier distribution through the batter. Spoon the batter into greased muffin tins, filling halfway up. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden.

Ingredients for Icing:

1/2 cup softened butter (1 stick)
8 oz. cream cheese (1 package)
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup honey
dash of vanilla extract

Using an electric mixer (or a lot of arm power), combine the butter and cream cheese until it’s very smooth. Add in the remaining ingredients and mix until incorporated. Spread evenly onto the completely cooled muffins.

Steak and Kidney Pie

“Winterfell…When last I was inside those walls, your cook served us a steak and kidney pie. Made with ale, I think, best I ever tasted. What was his name, that cook?”
“Gage,” Jeyne said at once. “He was a good cook. He would make lemoncakes for Sansa whenever we had lemons.” -The Winds of Winter

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.

Hot Pie’s Direwolf Scones

Again, Hot Pie brings us another tasty recipe from the HBO series!

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!

Crazy Historical Poached Eggs

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.