Pop Biscuits – The Faraway Tree

Pop Biscuits, filled with honey-butter

Thoughts:

This whimsical snack, at first blush, seemed wonderfully simple to put together. I blithely made a batch of biscuits, filled them with honey, and baked. They were not a success.

In addition to my wandering away from the oven for a bit too long, leaving the biscuits to brown, the honey soaked into the dough, leaving sweetened little hollows on the inside of the biscuits. Not cool. So a few days later, I tried another approach. This time, I baked the biscuits, and filled them after they were cooled.

This produced the winningest of successes. The biscuits are filled with these wonderful blobs of honey-butter, and when you bite into them, it does, in fact, almost pop. Each bite is sweet, but not overpowering, wonderfully portable, stealable, and all around scoffable.

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White Leek Bruet

Thoughts:

This medieval leek recipe is flavorful and interesting.

The leeks and salt pork cook until they are so soft that they almost melt, leaving the slivered almonds to make a textural statement. Each bite transitions from the saltiness of the broth, to the soft flavors of the leeks and pork, then ends with a strong nutty, crunchy finish. I’ve made it as in the original, but if I were to make it again, I might include a sprig or two of herbs for some added nutrients and complexity. It would also be tasty paired with a nice toasted slice of dark rye bread.

Proposed Location?

I’d guess that this could be a strong contender for any of the smaller noble houses. It doesn’t rely on a wealth of fresh ingredients, but is strong and tasty. Given the inclusion of pork, I’m going to be funny and say it should be served at the Tarly residence, Horn Hill.

Recipe for White Leek Bruet

“To make white leeks, he who is in charge of them should arrange that he has his leeks and slice them small and wash them very well and put to boil. And take a good piece of salt chine of pork, and clean it very well and put it to boil therewith; and when they are well boiled take them out onto fair and clean tables, and let them save the broth in which they were boiled, and let there be a good mortar full of blanched almonds, and then take the broth in which the said leeks have boiled and draw up the almonds with it, and if there is not enough of the said broth take beef or mutton broth — and take care that it is not too salty; and then afterward put your bruet to boil in a fair and clean pot. And then take two fair and clean knives and chop your leeks, and then take them and bray them in a mortar; and, being brayed, put them into your broth, of almonds as much as water, to boil. And the leeks being boiled, when it comes to the side board put your meat on fair serving dishes and then the said broth of the said leeks put on top.” –Du Fait de Cuisine, 1420

Cook’s Notes: I’ve streamlined the original instructions somewhat below, for simplicity’s sake. I don’t think it alters the overall effect in any large degree.

Ingredients:

2 Leeks, white part only
1/4 lb. Salt pork, rinsed and sliced thinly into bite-size pieces
2 cups water
1 cup ground almonds
2 cups beef broth
Salt, to taste
1/2 cup slivered blanched almonds
1/2 cup Water

Rinse leeks and cut the white section of them into 1/4″ rounds. Put the leeks in a pot with the sliced salt pork and cover with 2 cups water.

Bring this mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking until leeks are tender and pork is cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Strain the broth into a bowl, reserving the leeks and salt pork. Pour this liquid back into the pot, along with the 2 cups beef broth and the ground almonds. Bring to a boil again. Once the leeks have cooled slightly, mash them between your fingers, or with a spoon. Add back into the broth along with the 1/2 cups water and blanched almonds, and simmer for 20 minutes. The mixture should thicken slightly from the almond flour, and be a nice rich color from the beef broth. Ladle into serving bowls, and consider serving with rye toast.

Flower Rolls – The Hunger Games

“Cinna invites me to sit on one of the couches and takes his place across from me. He presses a button on the side of the table. The top splits and from below rises a second tabletop that holds our lunch. Chicken and chunks of oranges cooked in a creamy sauce laid on a bed of pearly white grain, tiny green peas and onions, rolls shaped like flowers, and for dessert, a pudding the color of honey.”

–The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins

These are a fun and decorative way to add to a dinner spread. The rolls are beautiful and unique, and can be filled with whatever you like. I enjoyed the filling I’ve included here, which includes goat cheese, garlic, and a bit of parsley or basil. The inside of the rolls stays warm and melty, and peeling back the “petals” to get to the filling is a fun way to play with your food. They are especially delicious next to a nice savory soup.

Flower Rolls Recipe

Roll Ingredients:

4 cups all purpose/plain flour, added gradually
1 tsp. instant yeast
1 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. oil
1 egg, divided
2 Tbs. honey
warm water (enough to make the dough a firm but workable consistency- exact measurement to come!)

Filling Ingredients:

6 oz. goat cheese
1 egg, divided
pinch of salt
1 clove garlic
1 Tbs. parsley or basil, diced

In a large bowl, mix together the ingredients for your dough, using just the egg yolk. Add flour gradually until the dough is a nice cohesive consistency. Knead to a medium soft dough that bounces back when poked, and leave to rise for 1 hour.

While the dough is rising, combine all the ingredients for the filling. Set aside.

Divide the dough into 15-16 sections and shape them into neat balls; now you can start shaping the flowers. Roll out each ball to about 5″ diameter. Brush a bit of butter on the circle of dough. Make 4 diagonal slits, leaving the center intact. Add about 1 Tbs. filling in the center.

Brush the outside of each filled dough circle with beaten egg white. Take the first section and wrap it around the blob of filling, pinching the sides of that “petal” together to hold it in place. Take the opposite side’s “petal” and cover the other side of the filling with it. Repeat with the two last sections, pinching or pressing the dough on the side to seal it. Repeat with each round of dough until all the rolls are made up. The rolls should look roughly like roses, with swirls of doughy petals.

Place the prepared rolls on a greased tray. Pre-heat your oven to 350F. Brush each roll gently with the remainder of the egg white. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until tops are golden.

Serve soon after baking.

Greens Dressed with Apples and Pine Nuts

“Cersei set a tasty table, that could not be denied. They started with a creamy chestnut soup, crusty hot bread, and greens dressed with apples and pine nuts.” -A Clash of Kings

Greens w/Apples & Pine Nuts

Thoughts:

Wonderful.

I had been putting off many of the salad recipes for lack of inspiration, but no more. This is a terrific salad! The apple slices are the star of the dish, but wouldn’t be nearly as amazing without the cheese and dressing. Creamy cheese between bites of crunchy apple, tangy dressing over soft pine nuts and pomegranate seeds bursting with color: the whole dish is a textural and taste powerhouse that’s as delicious as it is healthy. How could it get any better?

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Blandissory

“Four master pyromancers conjured up beasts of living flame to tear at each other with fiery claws whilst the serving men ladled out bowls of blandissory, a mixture of beef broth and boiled wine sweetened with honey and dotted with blanched almonds and chunks of capon.” -A Storm of Swords

Thoughts:

This is a great example of how sweet and savory elements are often combined in a medieval dish. The chicken and broth, and to some extent even the wine are more commonly served as savory dishes, while cinnamon, ginger, and honey are more often associated with sweet dishes, like cookies and desserts.

This dish is quirky, and while not especially appealing in appearance, it is actually quite tasty. The almond and rice flours thicken the broth to a consistency just shy of a medium gravy. The chicken is wonderfully soft and flavorful, a great textural counterpoint to the occasioinal crunch of the almonds.

Also, while the text excerpt calls for beef broth, I found that this is a wonderful way to use a second day roast chicken. Simply pick off any remaining meat, and boil down the carcass for broth. Very economical, and in keeping with the traditional practices of not letting anything go to waste. Of course, if you’re a Lannister, you needn’t worry about such things…

All in all, a quirky dish, but not without its merits. Medieval food surprises yet again!

Recipe for Blandissory

Makes: about 2 servings Prep: 5-10 minutes

Blaundesore to potage. Take almondes and grynde hom when thai byn blounchet and tempur hom, on fysshe day wyth wyn, and on flesheday with broth of flesh, and put hit in a pot, and therto floure of rys, and let hit boyle ; then take the braune of hennes, or of capons, and bray hom, and tempur hit up with the broth of the capons, and do hit in the pot, and colour hit with saffron; and do therto gynger mynced, and powder of canel, and sugur ynogh, and serve hit forth, and florish hit with white annys. –Ancient Cookery (England, 1425)

Cook’s Notes: I used red wine because it’s what I had open, but a white wine would make for a very pretty dish, especially with the saffron to color it.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Ground almonds
2 cups meat broth
1 cup wine
2 Tbs. rice flour
~1 cup shredded and chopped cooked chicken meat
pinch of saffron (if using white wine)
pinch ground ginger
pinch ground cinnamon
1-2 Tbs. sugar or honey
blanched almonds for garnish (~1/4 cup)

Combine ground almonds with wine/broth, and bring to a boil. Gradually add the rice flour, whisking to avoid creating clumps. Add the chicken, spices, and honey, and stir for around 2 minutes.

Pour into your serving dish, sprinkle with almonds, and serve!

Seedcake – The Hobbit

I ate two slices before I could slow down and focus on adjectives, rather than just scarfing down the tasty, tasty morsels.

The brandy and spices are there, but not in a boozy, overwhelming way. In fact, I’d say it has only the good taste of brandy, without the kick. The cake itself is soft and dense, with only the slightest hint of crunch on the outside crust, and imparted by the seeds. Although it would be good with honey or jam, I found that the seedcake itself was good enough to enjoy plain, or with a smidge of butter alongside some afternoon tea.

Recipe for Seedcake

Like most of my recipes, I based this on a traditional recipe from an old cookbook. In this case, it’s #1776, taken from Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management, 1861.

Ingredients

1/2 lb. of butter (2 sticks)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground mace
1 Tbs seeds (caraway is traditional, but I like poppy seeds)
3 eggs
1/4 cup brandy
2 cups flour

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the spices and seeds, followed by the eggs and brandy, beating to combine. Gradually add the flour, stirring until everything is mixed together completely. Pour this thick batter into a tin lined with buttered paper, and bake it at 350F for 1 hour.

Butternut-Leek Bridies

Thoughts:

Although not as amazing as the originals upon which they are based (from The Haven, in JP), these tasty hand pies are a wonderful seasonal snack or side. The natural sweetness of the squash and the sauteed leeks compliment one another, and the flaky pastry is a delight.

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17th C. Candied Sweet Potatoes

Thoughts:

This recipe surprised me.

I had been looking for likely candidates for fictional and historical Thanksgiving recipes, when I stumbled upon this dish in one of my cookbooks. I had my doubts about the rose water, but decided to try it anyway. It turns out that it’s not that much different from a standard candied sweet potatoes recipe. The rose and orange flavors go surprisingly well together, and with simmering, the syrup takes on a bit of the earthiness of the yams themselves.

The syrup isn’t as thick as in the more common modern version, but is still quite sweet. If anything, its a slightly more delicate and complex series of flavors than I am used to in this dish, and came together quite nicely. I still missed the lack of a spice, but that could be easily remedied. :)

Recipe for Candied Sweet Potatoes

“Boile your roots in faire water untill they bee somewhat tender then pill of the skinne, then make your syrupe, weying to every pound of roots a pound of sugar and a quarter of a pinte of faire water, & as much of rose water, & the juice of three for fowre orenges, then boile the syrupe & scum it, then cut your roots in the middle & put them into the syrup, & boile them till they bee thoughlie soaked in the syrupe, before you take it from the fire, put in a little musk and amber greece.” –Eleanor Fettiplace’s Receipt Book, 17th century

Cook’s Notes: I’ve omitted the musk and ambergris at the end of the recipe, mostly for the sake of expense and availability. I imagine, however, that they would make for a significantly different and much more fragrant dish.

Ingredients:

1 lb. sweet potatoes, cut into large chunks
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup rose water
3/4 cup orange juice

Parboil the sweet potatoes in a pot of water for about 10 minutes, or until they are just shy of tender, then drain and peel. Cut into largeish chunks; any small pieces may fall apart in the syrup.

Combine the sugar, water, rose water, and orange juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, and skim off any scum that rises to the top. Turn the heat down to a low simmer, then add the cut sweet potatoes. Cook slowly for another 30-45 minutes, depending on how long they were parboiled. The finished potatoes should be tender and full of sweet, syrupy flavor. If you like, you can let the potatoes sit in the syrup overnight, making this a great dish to prepare ahead of time.

Salted Peas & Lentils – Gentlemen Bastards series

“There were also salted peas and lentils as well as bowls of past-ripe tomatoes and pears. Poor stuff, in truth, but in a quantity and variety most of the Catchfire orphans had never seen before.”

–The Lies of Locke Lamora, by Scott Lynch

Thoughts:

This is just the sort of warm, inexpensive dish that would fill the bellies of hungry children, and help win their trust.

There’s just a slight tang from the balsamic, which deepens the earthiness of the lentils. The salt, especially smoked salt, gives the legumes a simple flavor that the Catchfire orphans might not have previously enjoyed on scraps scrounged where they might.

Although the vibrant colors of the lentils and peas is muted somewhat after cooking, there’s still a bit of variation left, as you can see above; The chives help bring out the green of the peas.

All in all, this is a hearty side dish for a main meal, or a larger component of a bag lunch.

Recipe for Salted Peas and Lentils

Cooking: 30-40 minutes

Makes: about 6 cups cooked (it’s a lot!)

Cook’s Notes: This recipe makes so much that you may want to cut it in half, unless you’re feeding a slew of hungry orphans yourself.

Ingredients:

1 cup split green peas
1 cup Puy lentils
1 cup brown lentils
2 cloves garlic, roughly smashed
1 Tbs. kosher salt
(beef bouillon, to taste)
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. salt for garnish (smoked salt is ideal)
1-2 Tbs. chives, chopped thin

Cover the peas and lentils with 3″ of salted water (adding some bouillon if you like), and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until they are tender. Keep an eye on the level of liquid, adding more if needed. Drain. Toss with balsamic and olive oil, as well as extra salt to taste.

Top with sliced chives, and serve.

Like this recipe? Check out the other recipes from the Gentlemen Bastards series!

Tea Eggs

Tea Eggs

Thoughts:

I originally made these as part of Breakfast in Meereen, and liked them so much I have kept making them.

Their flavor gets into the egg, smoky and filled with spice. It makes them more unique than ordinary hard-boiled eggs. They’re great for parties, or just as a snack

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