oven tightly.
Place Dutch oven in 200°F oven 10–15 hours. Check occasionally to make sure broth hasn’t been absorbed or evaporated. Serve in bowls.
A Word of Wisdom
Gage served this stew with loaves of Winterfell Black Bread and a side of Winterfell Cold Fruit Soup . A generous helping of The Dead Man’s Roasted Vegetables and Ballroom Blackberry Honeycake would finish this meal off nobly.
Leaf’s Blood Stew
Bran receives quite an education north of the Wall. As he fills his mind with seeing and reading and the secrets of the weirwoods, he fills his belly with Blood Stew made by Leaf and her fellow singers. Any wild game will do to make this an interesting meal for those natural travelers with a taste for wide horizons. ( A Dance with Dragons , Chapter 34 — Bran)
Serves 8
2–3 pounds rabbit, squirrel, or other small game
2 tablespoons oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound spicy sausage (Italian, andouille, or game)
4 tablespoons ( 1 ⁄ 2 stick) unsalted butter
2 onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3–4 stalks celery, chopped
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
8 cups chicken broth, divided
1 cup game blood, chilled with any solids well-mashed
1 cup fire-roasted red pepper, chopped
1 ⁄ 2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut small game into pieces. Rub the meat with 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in a roasting pan and cook for about 45 to 60 minutes, or until tender. Remove and let cool. Pick meat off the bones and set aside.
Brown sausage in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add butter, onions, pepper, celery, mushrooms, and garlic. Sauté for about 10 to 12 minutes, stirring slowly. Stir in flour to form a roux (paste) and cook for about 3 or 4 minutes. Slowly add 2 cups of the chicken broth and 1 cup blood, stirring to combine; then add the rest of the broth, red peppers, red pepper flakes, thyme, bay leaves, and game meat.
Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours. If mixture is too thick, add 1 or 2 cups of water or additional chicken broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaves before serving.
A Word of Wisdom
Blood may sound like an exotic, intimidating ingredient, but it is a common ingredient in cultures that value every part of an animal. Add a dash of vinegar to keep it from congealing when you store it.
Three-Finger Hobb’s Best Mutton
Three-Finger Hobb won’t see a brother of the black go hungry. With Hobb in the kitchen and Owen the Oaf as server, it’s a sure thing that food is brought to all those who serve on the Wall, rain or shine. A pailful of this fine stew with its spices, onions, and ale is an excellent way to end a day’s work or to begin a long night’s watch. ( A Storm of Swords , Chapter 55 — Jon)
Serves 6–8
6 strips bacon
3 pounds boneless mutton shoulder
1 ⁄ 3 cup flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 ⁄ 2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 ⁄ 4 teaspoon paprika
2 medium onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups beef or mutton broth
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup stout ale
2 bay leaves
1 ⁄ 2 teaspoon thyme leaves
1 large leek, trimmed and sliced
3 pounds white potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
3 cups thickly sliced carrots
1 1 ⁄ 2 cups green peas, frozen or shelled fresh
Salt and pepper to taste
1 ⁄ 3 cup minced fresh parsley
In a large, heavy frying pan, cook bacon until crisp; set aside, leaving the bacon fat in the pan. Trim fat from mutton; cut into 1 1 ⁄ 2 -inch cubes. Combine flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Dredge mutton pieces in the flour mixture; shake off excess flour. Brown meat in the bacon fat over medium-high heat; remove to Dutch oven.
Sauté onions in the same skillet over medium-high heat until browned. Add garlic; stir well. Pour 1
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