Mutton Chops sauced with Honey and Cloves

“Such food Bran had never seen; course after course after course, so much that he could not manage more than a bite or two of each dish. There were great joints of aurochs roasted with leeks, venison pies chunky with carrots, bacon, and mushrooms, mutton chops sauced in honey and cloves…” -A Clash of Kings

Lamb Chops sauced with Honey and Cloves

Thoughts:

I sort of winged this particular dish. Having such great results with the mead marinade that I used for the Robert Baratheon meal, I decided to try a similar approach with this dish.

Sometimes a dish doesn’t quite live up to my expectations.

The results, while tasty, were not as mind-boggling as the former instance. The sauce was nice, but lacked a really strong honey-clove flavor. A variation on this sauce, perhaps with some butter and white wine instead of the mead, could be lovely, and is something I’ll probably try: I hate being defeated by a meal.

Honestly, I think that literally pouring some good honey and ground cloves over a nice cut of lamb will give you as rewarding a dish as any more complicated version. Keep the pinch of cinnamon, though: it helps bring out the bite of the clove.

Any suggestions?

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Dothraki Blood Pie

Traditional Blood Pie

“Food was brought to her, steaming joints of meat and thick black sausages and Dothraki blood pies, and later fruits and sweetgrass stews and delicate pastries from the kitchens of Pentos…” -A Game of Thrones

Modern Blood Sausage Tart

Thoughts:

*Fun Fact: Blood Pie is also a Klingon Dish. Oh, the wonders of the interwebs…*

The traditional pies are great. Rustic and hearty, frying leaves the dough wonderfully chewy, and the insides bursting with flavor. If you are wary of the blood sausage, you needn’t be; One of our housemates ate four of the pies in quick succession, raving about them, and was shocked to learn that they contained black pudding. The spices further improve what would be a wonderful recipe on its own. I used Aleppo pepper, and loved the middle eastern spiciness of it. If you too add spicy pepper to your filling, then you may find that our Milk Tea is a wonderful counter to that heat.

The modern pie is amazeballs. Truly. It took me about three glorious bites to even be able to think about additional adjectives. The smidge of garlic on the bottom of the filling was planted, grown, and harvested purely to complement the chevre. The leek was lovingly tended by orphans of the Greenblood who sang to it daily, until the time came for it to join the other ingredients in this tart. The black pudding, the center of the whole dish, stands firm amidst the other flavors, allowing them to complement, rather than overpower it. You may think the addition of the pistachios strange, but they lend a bit of crunch to an otherwise creamy dish, and help bring out the subtle nuttiness of the crust. Nibbled on its own, the crust has a nice, dry earthiness. However, it softens as it soaks up moisture from the filling, and adds to the overall gloriosity of the whole.

The two recipes are too dissimilar to compare fairly. I loved them both equally, albeit for their separate merits. I’d say that the traditional pie is the most Dothraki, but although the modern tart moonlights as a dainty and proper dish in its fluted tart pan, it’s absolutely one that Ser Jorah could dig into with both hands. Since most black pudding comes in 1 lb. packages, I suggest making both!

Feast like the Dothraki…

Daenerys Targaryen's ideal meal

We were swamped with terrific ideas and suggestions for this meal. Combining our ideas with yours, this is what we’ve got:

We started with Kati’s idea that the meal would have to include lots of small dishes of nibbles for Dany to daintily pick at. Dylan is also probably correct in that there would have to be a “crap ton of fresh fruit”. We shopped at the local Asian market for some extra strange fruit varietals.

As per the suggestion of many, we served some spiced lamb over a bed of mixed grains. Also savory, the tea eggs from our Meereenese Breakfast. Equally exotic were the roasted grapes- half raisins with a burst of sweetness.

For a sweet finish, we followed Total Zelanity’s observation that Tyroshi Honeyfingers needed to be included. Add to that a side of Anne Clark’s suggested yogurt with honey and pomegranate, and some honey-cinnamon roasted chickpeas.

Our drinks consultant recommends a South African mead, such as the coffee, fig, or chili varietals from IQhilika, or a spicy Corsican witbier such as Pietra Columba. We also served up some of our home brewed persimmon wine. For a non alcoholic beverage, we suggest a minty green tea- a superior shade of green can be had by brewing matcha with fresh mint sprigs.

Our Thoughts:

Dany really feasts like a queen (or a khaleesi, if you prefer). The grapes on their own are wonderful, but for a really incredible experience, combine a bite of yogurt, roasted grape, and lamb. The three combine for a really amazing flavor. The extra fresh fruits are luscious, but in my opinion, can’t hold their own against the amazingness that is Tyroshi Honeyfingers. I mean, fried dough, soaked in honey. Yes.

We also employed an old Jacobite tradition for toasting: Fill a small glass with water. Take your beverage of choice, and, while passing it over the water, say, “To the Queen”. In this way, any Targaryen loyalist in Westeros can secretly toast Daenerys, their queen over the water. :)

Honorable Mention:

Doug suggested Ethiopian-style lamb tips, from lamb plundered from the weak Lhazareen

Min’s suggestion of something flambeed

EVERYTHING in Tami’s extensive list of courses

Faris’ suggestion of a course for each of the seven kingdoms, so she could metaphorically devour them

kkw for playing to my weakness for Turkish cuisine

Nate’s suggestion of a vintage Madeira, because it and Dany have gotten better with travel, are complex, and survive exposure to extreme heat

Stuffed Grapeleaves

“The kid had been roasted with lemon and honey. With it were grape leaves stuffed with a melange of raisins, onions, mushrooms, and fiery dragon peppers. ’I am not hungry,’ Arianne said…After a while, hunger weakened her resolve, so she sat and ate.” -A Feast for Crows

Stuffed Grape leaves

Our Thoughts:

These beauties brought rave reviews even from those of our taste testers who claim to dislike grape leaves. The filling is tender and flavorful, with each taste taking a turn on your palate. The savoriness of the lamb vies with the sweetness of the raisins, while still allowing the heat of the peppers out to play.

Get the recipe in The Cookbook!

Mereneese Lamb with salad of raisins and carrots, hot flaky bread

“That night her handmaids brought her lamb, with a salad of raisins and carrots soaked in wine, and a hot flaky bread dripping with honey. She could eat none of it. Did Rhaegar ever grow so weary? she wondered. Did Aegon, after his conquest?” -A Storm of Swords

Roman Lamb and Carrots

Thoughts:

This was a delicious dish. Hands down one of our favorites so far. The sweetness of the sauces suited carrots, raisins, and lamb alike, while drawing out their natural flavors. We served our with Naan bread, warmed in the oven, and iced milk sweetened with honey.

Make it at Home!

Casual Dornish Dinner

“The kid had been roasted with lemon and honey. With it were grape leaves stuffed with a melange of raisins, onions, mushrooms, and fiery dragon peppers. ‘I am not hungry,’ Arianne said…After a while, hunger weakened her resolve, so she sat and ate.” -A Dance with Dragons?

Thoughts:

THIS. Is. Epic.

From the first bite, this dish will make you feel like a Dornish Prince, or a lucky Sandsnake.What an amazing meal. This post was one of the earliest on the blog, but after reviewing it, I realized it was more of a concept post, rather that actual, awesome recipes. That, with the benefit of one cookbook’s worth of experience, plus several years of blogging, proved easy to fix. Years ago, I found an original medieval recipe for roast kid that went like this: “Take a kydde, and slytte the skyn in þe throte…And trusse his legges in the sides, and roste him…” This is one of my favorite recipes for showcasing just how unhelpful some medieval recipes could be. It’s essentially saying, “kill the goat and roast it.” None of our modern cook times or temperatures here!

This time around, I opted for my own marinade, swapped lamb for goat (which can be tough, and is a better candidate for stewing), and the result was delicious. Flavors of honey and lemon burst on the tongue, only to be replaced by the gradual burn of pepper. While the tender lamb is the center of the meal, the other sides are what makes it a feast. They include:

Pide (flatbread), with Chickpea Paste and Mesquite Honey
Marinated Feta
Assorted Olives
Stuffed Grape Leaves
Strongwine

The recipes for the Flatbread, Chickpea Paste, and Grape Leaves are in the cookbook. Look for the recipes for Strongwine and several other delectable dishes in the mini Dornish eCookbook. ;)

The pide bread, fresh baked and still warm from the oven, is addictive, especially paired with the rich feta. As though that weren’t enough to utterly stuff a person, the grape leaves’ complicated collection of flavors beckons from a nearby plate, and a bowl of mixed olives soon dwindles to a pile of pits. The meal is a constant cycle of sweet, spicy, and salty tastes, and just as soon as you complete one round of flavors, you find yourself reaching for more.

I wish I had a picture of the aftermath of the meal, wrought by just two eaters, but I’ll admit that I was pleasantly struggling to stay awake by that point. We ate it for lunch, and didn’t need a meal for the rest of the day.

Although there are many elements involved in a Dornish Dinner, a little forethought can simplify things. Make the grape leaves and the bread dough the day before, allowing the latter to rise overnight. Marinate the lamb overnight also, or start it first thing in the morning.

Verdict? Absolutely make this meal. Consider dressing in silks and eating out of doors, in hot weather, under trees heavy laden with overripe fruit. Or recline on a bed of pillows indoors, and imagine the warmth of the Dornish sun, even in the bitterest of our winters. Eat with your fingers- it brings you closer to the food.

Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken, and very well fed…

Lamb with Honey, Lemon, and Fiery Peppers

Prep: 4 hours+ Cooking: ~10 minutes Serves: 2-4, depending on sides

Cook’s Notes: Lamb can be expensive, but if you’re going through the effort of making this meal, don’t skimp on quality. A nice meat will mean you get a wonderfully tender dish in the end.

Ingredients:

juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, or more to taste
2 Tbs. honey, plus extra to drizzle
1/2-3/4 lb. lamb, cut into 1″ chunks

Combine the first five ingredients in a bowl, making sure to mix thoroughly. Add the lamb, and allow to marinate for at least 4 hours. Preheat the oven to 400F, and place the lamb on skewers, leaving just the slightest bit of space between each piece. Cook for around 8 minutes, flipping once in the middle to ensure the meat cooks evenly.

When done, remove from heat and drizzle with honey. If you like, you can then stick the skewers under the broiler very briefly to slightly caramelize the honey. Just be careful not to overcook the lamb. Place the finished skewers on a bed of pilav, and enjoy!