Simple Dornish fare

When the sun set the air grew cool and the children went inside in search of supper, still the prince remained beneath his orange trees, looking out over the still pools and the sea beyond. A serving man brought him a bowl of purple olives with flatbread, cheese, and chickpea paste. He ate a bit of it, and drank a cup of the sweet, heavy strongwine that he loved. -A Feast for Crows

Simple Dornish Fare

Thoughts:

Mmmm…hummus. It’s really tough to go wrong with simple, basic, quality ingredients, and this spread is no exception. While you can certainly substitute pre-made pita or naan, nothing quite beats fresh flatbread, warm and straight from the oven. It’s so good that I have twice eaten it all before being able to photograph it.

Add to that some nice olives, a bit of tangy feta cheese, and a glass of strongwine, and this is a simple, easy, light meal perfect for the heat of Dorne, or the heat of summer.

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Burlington Book Signing

Everyone deserves goodies. But a really great author who has entertained and captivated us with the emotional rollercoaster that is A Song of Ice and Fire deserves extra swag. Being the foodies that we are, we decided to make up a gift basket for George RR Martin when he started his book signing tour in MA.

Being a creative sort, Chelsea just couldn’t help herself, and may have gotten a little carried away…

The swag basket included a medieval pork pie, cheese and olives, a small bottle of local cognac, traditional oatcakes with both blackberries and pine nuts, our new ultimate lemoncakes, potted hare, mulling spices, and our own little gag gift: a small bottle of “Tears of Lys”. The parcels were wrapped in a combination of linen cloth and hand woven inkle bands before getting their individual labels. Into the basket, lined with leather and fur, for the perfect presentation.

After Sariann finished work, we piled into the car with a couple of our Inn-mates (Ha!), and headed for Burlington. At the bookstore, the lines were predictably around the entire side of the building, fans all abuzz with excitement about the new book and meeting George. We felt like superheroes in disguise wearing our snazzy aprons as the bookstore staff ushered us in and handed us off to the uber efficient Random House marketing folks, who in turn took us to The Martin.

George was kind enough to take a few minutes to chat with us about food, and the contents of the gift basket.

He also signed our aprons:

George signs apron

This was pretty much one of the best nights of our lives…

Snacking with Davos Seaworth

“Fetch him some hot wine with cloves, I am misliking the sound of that cough. Squeeze some lime in it as well. And bring white cheese and a bowl of those cracked green olives we counted earlier! Davos, I will join you soon, once I have bespoken our good captain. You will be forgiving me, I know. Do not eat all the olives, or I will be cross with you!” (III: 136)

Snacks for Davos

Our Thoughts:

Feta and olives are a classic Mediterranean pairing, and are very nice when combined with the hot white wine. If you like pepper, just a touch sprinkled on top of both olives and cheese can be lovely. Try finding a windswept spit of rock, or a tallship to eat your snack on.

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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!