The sixth season of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” begins Sunday, bringing with it answers to such questions as: Does Sansa get a backbone, does Arya get her vision back, does Tyrion get sober? Is Jon Snow really dead? And for those of us of a certain bent: What will they eat next?
George R.R. Martin, author of “A Song of Ice and Fire” the series of books on which “Game of Thrones” is based, weaves vivid descriptions of meals into his narrative, from the plain food of homes and taverns to lavish, excessive, obsessive feasts. The television show illustrates it all. (Remember Joffrey’s golden wedding cake? With the doves that flew out as he sliced?)
Thus, combining fandom and cooking can become a serious hobby. Or a profession, as it has for Chelsea Monroe-Cassel and Sariann Lehrer, authors of “A Feast of Ice and Fire: The Official Game of Thrones Companion Cookbook.” They keep up their study of the cuisines of the Seven Kingdoms on the fascinating website innatthecrossroads.com.
Among their recipes: Mutton in Onion-Ale Broth, Quails Drowned in Butter, Honey-Spiced Locusts … and it’s not made-up stuff. Each was born of research into the food and cooking techniques of the Middle Ages.
My son is planning to watch each episode of the new season over dinner with friends, trading off cooking duties. He didn’t ask my advice (he seldom does), but if he did I’d recommend both the cookbook and the website. Keep it real and tasty, both.
For Sunday’s premiere I suggest this dish, inspired by the website, which was inspired by a scene in the first book in Martin’s series, when Jon Snow feeds a whole honeyed chicken to his direwolf, Ghost: “Ghost ripped into it in savage silence.”
It was further inspired, Monroe-Cassel and Lehrer write, by Marcus Gavius Apicius, the ancient Roman epicure and author of the oldest cookbook to survive from those times, “De Re Coquinaria” (“The Art of Cooking”). The original calls for roasting a whole chicken, but I made it using parts, for convenience unavailable in medieval times.
Despite its name, this chicken takes its flavor more from the vinegar used in the sauce, which is quite tart. Add more honey for a more sweet-sour result.
HONEYED CHICKEN
3 pounds chicken parts
2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
>> Sauce:
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey, or more to taste
1 teaspoon minced fresh mint, or a pinch of dried
1/4 cup dried cherries or raisins
1 tablespoon butter
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place chicken pieces in large bowl. Toss with olive oil and salt. Arrange on rack over a baking sheet. Roast 20-30 minutes, until juices run clear when largest piece is pierced near bone.
To make sauce: Combine all ingredients in saucepan and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Taste and add more honey if desired. Pour over chicken pieces. Serves 4.
Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 550 calories, 29 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 230 mg cholesterol, 650 mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 19 g sugar, 48 g protein
Easy ideas for a viewing party
In 2015 Monroe-Cassel released a companion cookbook, “From the Sands of Dorne,” which provides some simple suggestions that you could whip up in time for Sunday’s premiere. They are appropriate to Dorne, the southernmost region of the Seven Kingdoms:
>> Roasted chickpeas: Roast a can’s worth of garbanzo beans (pat them dry first) at 375 degrees until crunchy. Toss with honey, olive oil, salt, cinnamon, paprika, chipotle powder and pepper.
>> Stuffed peppers: Slice jalapeno peppers in half and stuff with a mixture of goat cheese, plain Greek yogurt and minced shallots. Bake in a 350-degree oven until browned. Top with fried sliced shallots.
>> Strongwine: Heat 1-3/4 cups red wine, 1/4 cup honey and 1 cup brandy to dissolve honey. Add a spice mix heavy on cinnamon, ginger and pepper, if you like. Strain, cool and serve.
Write “By Request,” Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu 96813; or email requests to bshimabukuro@staradvertiser.com. Nutritonal analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.
