Greywater Watch Frog Stew

“They used Meera’s helm for a cooking pot, chopping up the catch into little cubes and tossing in some water and some wild onions Hodor had found to make a froggy stew. It wasn’t as good as deer, but it wasn’t bad either…” -A Storm of Swords

Thoughts:

I cheated a little with this recipe. Since I’m not starving out on the moors of Northern Westeros, I opted to actually cook some elements of this dish differently than described. I knew it had to include trout, frogs, and an equivalent to wild onions (not many of those in Boston), but since I’d be eating it, I also wanted it to be as tasty as possible while staying pretty close to the book.

This was my first time trying frog, and I was pleasantly surprised. The meat was soft, not chewy as I had expected, and tasted mostly like a slightly gamey chicken with a hint of fish. The overall soup, while not the tastiest thing I’ve made for the blog, was better than I expected.

In the end, though, I’ve got to agree with Bran: it’s pretty good, but it’s no venison! :)

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Venison Stew

“‘You can stand by the fire as long as you like. You’ll have food and drink, too. Hot mulled wine and a bowl of venison stewed with onions, and Hobb’s bread right out of the oven, so hot it will burn your fingers.’ Sam peeled off a glove to wriggle his own fingers near the flames…” -A Storm of Swords

After episode 3.6, where Sam longingly describes this stew, I decided to finally get the venison and have a go at it. Fortunately, it coincided with a bit of a cooler spell here in Boston, which suited the heartiness of this stew perfectly.

While this particular description of the stew is fairly limited, there are others throughout the books that contain other tidbits. In other passages, descriptions of Hobb’s venison stew includes carrots and barley, and in the south, it’s stewed with beer. So, everything went into the pot, along with a few more additions of my own.

I used spent grain from brewing (see link below) for the barley component, because I can’t imagine the Night’s Watch letting anything go to waste. It gave the stew a unique texture, and was the source of some of those black flecks you see in the photo. The bacon, I’ll admit, was also my addition, but I don’t think anyone who has read the books can fault me for that. Everything tastes better with bacon. :)

The resulting stew is thick, hearty, and filling- just the thing for a cool night in the North. It’s wonderful with a hunk of rustic bread and a sharp cheese, and a flagon of the same beer that went into the recipe.

Venison Stew Recipe

Ingredients:

3 strips bacon
1 lb. venison (I used ground, but use any small cut you like)
2 Tbs. butter, divided
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 cup peas
3 cups broth
1 bottle dark beer (12 oz/335 ml)
1 cup spent grain, or other barley of your choice, cooked according to its own directions
1 cup small boiler onions, peeled
1/2 tsp. smoked salt
1/2 tsp. savory, or thyme
1 Tbs. flour

Cook the bacon in a medium frying pan. Take out the cooked bacon, reserving the grease, and chop the bacon into small pieces. Brown the venison meat in the bacon grease, then pour it all into a medium pot, along with the bacon bits. In the same frying pan, melt 1 Tbs. butter. Add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes, until it’s not quite browned. Add the carrots and peas, stir to coat with butter, then pour in 1 cup of broth. Cover, and simmer for a few minutes, until the carrots are tender. Add this mixture, along with the rest of the broth, the beer, barley, onions, and seasoning.

If you’d like the stew to be a little thicker, make a roux: melt the remaining 1 Tbs. butter and add to it the 1 Tbs. flour. Stir to combine over medium heat. When the butter-flour looks bubbly and golden (under a minute), begin to add ladlesful of broth, whisking to combine. This should create a thick mixture that can be poured back into your stew. Cook the stew for at least 1 1/2 hours on medium-low heat. Enjoy with some sharp cheese and rustic bread. If you’re using spent grains in the stew, consider also using them in the bread!

February Brewing Update

This was a fun month over at the brewhaus. I got Game of Brews up and running smoothly, and have ironed out most of the problems with the forums. With the actual brews, I’m trying to strike a good balance between meads (which take a great deal of time to ferment and age), beer (with which I’m not very familiar, but still enthusiastic), and cordials/infusions. There’s something of an art to keeping the brews cycling through the carboys- too many long term brews, and the carboys are tied up for overlong; too many short term brews, and there won’t be anything awesome to drink in 6 months.

Even with the right balance, things can go awry. My first round of Gose was much too salty, although it had some great flavors apart from that. The Yorkshire Oat Ale seemed like something you’d only give to horses when I bottled it, so we’ll see how that shapes up. I cracked open the first bottle of naturally fermented Maple-Cider, though, and it is a powerhouse of amazing flavors. I win some, I lose some, and I spend a lot of time at the homebrew store. I also have to occasionally combat the chill of the apartment by incubating my brews near the warmth of the oven. The housemates are not amused…

So here are the posts that went up in February. I’ve been working on a ton of other recipes behind the scenes, but you’ll have to stay tuned for those later! :)

New Posts:

Started:

Raspberry Cordial
Yorkshire Oat Ale
Elderberry Cordial
Blackberry Mead
Blood Orange Cordial
Breakfast Stout

Boeuf en Daube – To The Lighthouse

“An exquisite scent of olives and oil and juice rose from the great brown dish as Marthe, with a little flourish took the cover off. The cook had spent three days over that dish and she must take great care, Mrs. Ramsay thought, diving into the soft mass to choose an especially tender piece for William Bankes.And she peered into the dish, with its shiny walls and its confusion of savory brown and yellow meats, and its bay leaves and its wine and thought, This will celebrate the occasion…”

–To the Lighthouse, by Virginia Woolf

That above quote, mouthwatering in the extreme, is like an appetizer unto itself. As soon as I read it, I knew I had another dish to make.

This recipe makes a wonderful, hearty beef stew that is just perfect for the coming chill of late fall and winter. The olives provide an unlooked for earthiness that is sometimes lacking in other stews, while the orange zest lightens the whole dish. The meat is meltingly tender, having been both marinated and slow cooked. The broth was not as thick as I would have liked, but a simple roux would fix that easily enough. I simmered mine most of the day in a crock pot, which gradually gave the whole house a rich, enticing aroma.

I recommend pairing the stew with a nice loaf of rustic bread, some cheese, and either a hefty salad or a couple of sides, like potatoes and green beans.

Recipe for Boeuf en Daube

Prep: marinate overnight Stewing: 6 hours

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 lbs stew beef, cubed
4 shallots, sliced thin
3-5 garlic cloves, minced
small bunch fresh thyme
1 -2 bay leaves
1 bottle inexpensive red wine
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 strips smoked bacon, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup dried mushrooms, chopped small
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 tablespoon soft brown sugar
1/2 cup olives, pitted and cut into slices
zest of half an orange
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
Salt and Pepper to taste
splash of cognac (optional)

Marinade the beef with the herbs, shallots & garlic overnight in half of the red wine.

The next day, drain the meat, pouring the wine into your stewpot or crockpot.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon until it is somewhat crispy, and the fat has run from it. Remove the bacon and add to your main pot. Working in batches, add the seasoned beef to the bacon fat and cook until just browned on each side. Remove the meat to the pot, but keep the garlic and shallots cooking in the frying pan until they are soft and fragrant. Pour this mixture into the main pot, adding also the thyme, bay leaves, tomatoes, carrots, sugar, olives, zest, and remaining wine.

Cook on low for at least six hours, at which point the meat should be very tender. If you like, add a splash of cognac near the end of cooking.

Venison Stew – Outlander

“Also a large boiling kettle, whose Acquisition we have Celebrated with a great quantity of tasty Stew, made with Venison, wild Onions from the wood, dried beans, and likewise some Tomatoe-fruits, dried from the Summer. None of us Died or suffered Ill-effects from Eating of the stew, so Claire is likely right, Tomatoes are not Poison.” -Drums of Autumn, by Diana Gabaldon

Venison Stew

Thoughts:

This post is from a guest swap I originally did with Outlander Kitchen. She cooked up a little Westerosi chowder, and I got to play with food from a terrific book series.

The finished stew is absolutely delicious. It’s thick, savory, and just unusual enough to be intriguing. The venison becomes mouthwateringly tender, while the dried tomatoes soften and soak up the broth. The roux magically enhances the stew, giving it a wonderfully rich consistency.

Rustic and hearty, it’s completely believable as a stew that Jamie, Claire, family, and tenants would enjoy on Fraser’s Ridge. A few herbs and vegetables from Claire’s garden, along with some dried beans and tomatoes, a bit of home brewed beer, and fresh venison that Jamie shot. I imagine that the broth would be made from the bones of the deer, since nothing is wasted

Like most stews, it’s better the second day, after the flavors have had time to meld together.

Venison Stew Recipe

Suggested pairings: spruce beer, bread and sweet butter, black currant jam, round of goat cheese, elderflower wine

1 1/2-2 lbs venison cut into 1 inch cubes
4 cloves garlic fine chopped
2 spring onions medium diced
2 carrots medium diced
1 cups dry kidney beans
1 cup sun dried tomatoes, cut into medium-small chunks
1 bottle of your favorite ale, red or brown (we used Celebrator Dopplebock)
3 cups venison or beef stock
1 large pinch rosemary or other savory herb, fine chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Splash of maple syrup
1 batch of roux ( 2 Tbs. each of butter and flour mixed together )

Combine the tomatoes and beans in a medium bowl and cover with 3 cups water. Allow to soak for at least an hour, and save the broth!

In a stock pot, heat 2 Tbs. bacon fat. Add meat, brown on both sides, remove from pot, and set aside. Add onions, garlic, and carrots to the stock pot with a splash of the tomato broth. Cook 5 minutes, covered. Deglaze pot with ale and let simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add the browned venison, stock, beans, rosemary, tomatoes, splash of maple syrup, and the tomato broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer one hour OR until meat is tender. Bring back to a boil. In a separate pan, mix the butter and flour for your roux, and let it cook for about a minute, until golden. While whisking the roux, add a few ladles of the stew broth, which will thicken when it combines with the roux. Pour the thickened sauce back into the main pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy!

Peppercrab Stew

“‘I’d work in your castle, milord. I can clean fish and bake bread, and churn butter. Father says my peppercrab stew is the best he’s ever tasted. You could find me a place in your kitchens and I could make you peppercrab stew.'” (A Clash of Kings)

Peppercrab Stew

Our Thoughts:

We bought these crab at the local market, using feminine wiles to coax a few more crab legs out of the fishmonger’s stall into our bag, free of charge. Imitation crab meat can be used for the faint of heart, or if fresh or frozen crabs are not available- although demolishing the crabs by hand and harvesting the succulent meat is half the fun! Our recipe makes a hearty, fiery crab stew, suitable to warm you from the inside out on even the coldest of days on the Iron Isles.

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Thick Stew of Mussels, Crabs, and 3 kinds of Fish

“The food was plain, but very good; there were loaves of crusty bread still warm from the ovens, crocks of fresh-churned butter, honey from the septry’s hives, and a thick stew of crabs, mussels, and at least three different kinds of fish. Septon Meribald and Ser Hyle drank the mead the brothers made, and pronounced it excellent, whilst she and Podrick contented themselves with more sweet cider.” -A Feast for Crows

Modern Fish Chowder

Thoughts

For this dish I opted for a hearty New England style fish chowder. I threw together a couple of different recipes, tweaked them to suit, and this is the incredibly tasty result!

One bite of this modern stew will make you forget the effort that went into creating it. This is the earthly realization of platonic fish chowder. We asked the guests at our dinner table to give their thoughts, but only received grunts of approval and moaned delight. Imagine yourself eating this meal in a tranquil sept on an island, savoring the hearty broth in peace while chaos rages around you. Imagine that, because eating this stew can transport you out of your everyday life.

Part of the challenge of food blogging is making the photos show just how delicious the dish is, and that’s often done with atmosphere. The building in the photo is a perfect stand-in for the Sept from the books. In reality, it’s a gutted and abandoned church near where my parents used to live, in West Boyleston, MA. I drove by the place once, and immediately knew I would have to use it for a photo. I must have been quite a sight as I made my way down the embankment, folding table, dishware, food, and camera all teetering precariously. But the photo made it all worth it, and I got a great picnic lunch, to boot!

Modern Fish Stew Recipe

Ingredients

1.5 oz salt pork or thick cut bacon, diced
1 lb potatoes (about 2 medium), chopped into 1/2″ cubes
1 yellow onion, finely diced
1.5 lb fish (we used salmon, haddock, and cod), about 2 fish or 4 fillets, cut into 1″ chunks
2 c water
1 cup heavy cream
12 oz can evaporated milk
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
~1/2-1 cup crab meat (imitation is fine, and cheaper!)
around a dozen mussels (ours were precooked)

Place 1/2 lb fish (about 1 fillet) in a pot with 2 c cold water. Bring to boil and boil 10 minutes.

While that is cooking, fry up the salt pork over medium heat. Once the bits are beginning to turn crispy and brown, add the diced potato. Cook 5 minutes over medium-high, stirring frequently. By now the fish broth should be done, so add it and the fish to the potato, then spread the remaining cubed fish atop this mess. Let this burble for about 10 minutes on medium-high.

At this point, if your pan won’t hold an additional 3 cups of liquid, transfer everything to a larger pot. Add heavy cream, evaporated milk, salt & pepper, crab meat, and whole mussels still in the shell. Bring to just under a boil, then reduce to medium-low, cover, and simmer about an hour.

To serve, ladle into bowls and garnish with additional pepper. To really round out the meal, serve it with the other original components from the book: crusty fresh bread with butter and honey, mead, and cider.