Tag Archives: Salladhor Saan

Salladhor Saan’s Hot Wine

“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!” -A Storm of Swords

Salladhor Saan’s Hot Wine

Thoughts:

While spiced red wine is perfectly suited to winter in the frozen North, this recipe uses more summery, exotic ingredients that one might find in the holds of a pirate captain’s ship: vanilla, lime, and expensive spices. 

This is a unique twist on a usual mulled wine recipe, resulting in something vaguely like a hot sangria. Each of the flavors takes its turn on the palate, from the initial burst of citrus to the semi-sting of cloves and pepper, while the bay leaves impart just a slight hint of earthiness. The vanilla and honey combine to sweeten out the tartness of the lime, rounding out the full taste experience of this drink.

A must try for those who like hot wine!

Salladhor Saan’s Hot Wine Recipe

Cook’s Note: I chose to use a white wine, even though the wine in the book is a red.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lime, keep the peel and half the juice
  • 700 ml white fruity wine (that is 1 normal bottle)
  • 1-2 vanilla pods (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)
  • 3 bay leaves
  • ~10 whole cloves
  • pinch of ground cloves
  • pinch of white pepper
  • 3 -4 tablespoons honey
  • 6 tablespoons white port (optional, but fortifying)
Peel the lime, cut into small pieces, and juice half of it. Pour the wine in a pan, add the lime peel, lime juice, vanilla pods, cloves, pepper, and bay leaves. Bring to just under a simmer. Lower the heat, cover the pan and leave to warm through for at least 15 minutes. Try to just keep it hot and not let it boil. Add 3 tablespoons of honey and the port, if using, then taste to see or you want to add more honey. Remove the vanilla pods, cloves, lime peel and the bay leaves. Serve in a heatproof glass.

Salladhor Saan’s shipboard Dinner

“Salladhor Saan got to his feet.  ‘My pardons.  These grapes have given me a hunger, and dinner awaits on my Valyrian.  Minced lamb with pepper and roasted gull stuffed with mushrooms and fennel and onion.” (II: 115)

Medieval Lamb Meatballs and Modern Roasted “Gull”

Our Thoughts:

This is a really nice, comparatively easy meal.  The lamb meatballs are simply made, soft and spicy.  Because they only have pepper in them, the delicious flavor unique to lamb really comes through.  The eggplant puree only adds to the experience of the meatballs.  In the “gull” corner, the stuffing is what really makes it special.  The fennel stays a little crunchy, providing a nice textural counterpoint to the flavor combo of the other ingredients.  Pop a few grapes for dessert, and you’ll be feasting like a pirate king.

Make it at Home!