Dothraki Wedding: The thrilling conclusion!

I have been horribly neglectful, but I hope this recipe  is worth it!  It's another variant on the Dothraki blood pie.  This one is more of a pie...though it feels somewhat too "western" for a Dothraki dish.

You will need:

2 lbs cubed "horse" (I used lamb)
flour
salt to taste
pepper to taste

1 tbs cardamon

1 tbs cumin

6 cloves of garlic crushed
olive oil
2lbs fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 large sweet onion
1/2 cup blood (I harvested mine from all the lamb I've used so far)
hot water

2 pie crusts.

First, to make the pie crusts you will need:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling

1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon pepper

6 to 8 Tbsp ice water

Mix all the dry ingredients. Then cut in the butter with a pastry cutter.  Add water slowly until the dough forms into a coarse, moldable dough.  If it's too crumbly add more water.

Once your dough is "right" form it into 2 balls. Take each ball and flatten, fold, and reflatten with your hands to make "layers" for a flaky crust.  Do this about 6 times, then take the flattened disk and put in a cool place. (you should have 2 disks)

Now for the meat!

Coat the steak in flour, spices, salt and pepper.  Sear the meat in about 1/2 cup of olive oil.  You only want to brown it, not cook it. Remove from pan and place on a plate.

Leave the oil and drippings in the pan, and sauté the onions and mushrooms.  Wisk 3tbl of flour in 12 oz of hot water, until all lumps are dissolved.  Pour slowly into the pan with the onions and mushrooms, stirring constantly.  Add the blood.  Let the mixture come to a  boil.  Continue stirring.  Once the sauce thickens, reduce the heat to a simmer and add the meat. Simmer over very low heat for about 30 minutes.  

While it simmers, roll out your two pie crusts.  Line a pie tin with one.

Pour meat into the pie pan, cover with the top pie crust and seal well.  Cut holes in top crust to vent.  Back at 350degrees 30-40 minutes until the pie crust is fully cooked.

My camera is giving me un-rotatable photos again.  Fail!

Mmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!

Dothraki Wedding Part 4

This  will be first in a 2 part series on "blood pies".  The first recipe borrows heavily from the Mongolian HuuShuur, a handy, portable meat pie good for a nomadic people.

 For dough:

• 21/4 cups wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1tsp black pepper

you can use white or all purpose but the dough will be elastic and  more difficult to manage.

For filling and frying;

• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 pound ground lamb.  Do not use a lean cut, the fat will keep the filling moist and help ensure thorough cooking.
• 1 cup minced onion
• 2 scallions, minced
• 1 tbs ginger
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbs Corriander
• 1tbs cumin
• 1/4 cup water
• 6 to 8 cups cooking oil

Make dough:
Stir together flour pepper and salt, then stir in warm water until a dough forms. Transfer to a floured surface and knead briefly. Form into 16 (1 1/2-inch) balls. Let stand, covered with an inverted large bowl, at room temperature 1 to 2 hours. If your dough is "wrong" use more flour or water as needed.

Make filling while dough stands:
Mince and mash garlic to a paste with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and the spices, then stir together with lamb, onion, scallions, and water in a bowl. 

Form and fry pies:

Roll out 1 ball of dough into a 3- to 4-inch round on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Put about 2 tablespoons filling to one side on round, flattening filling slightly, and fold other half over it to form a half-moon. Press edges together to seal, forcing out air. Starting at one end of curve, fold edge over in triangles (each fold should overlap previous one), pressing as you go and pressing last fold under (this will help seal). Repeat with remaining dough and filling. 

It is EXTREMELY important that you seal these well or the leaking lamb fat will cause explosions of epic proportions.

Meanwhile, heat 1 1/2 to 2 inches oil to 350°F in a deep 4- to 5-quart heavy pot.

Fry pies, 4 at a time, until golden and meat is just cooked through, about 3-6 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. 

         

Dothraki Wedding Part 3

As soon as I read "joints of meat" I immediately recalled "ouzi", a delicious lamb dish made for feasts and special occasions.  For large gatherings, and entire lamb will be roasted, but more commonly it's the leg or shoulder so...joints!

It's not really lamb season so the butcher did not have any bone in legs, or shoulders, so I made do with boneless, but for a proper meat joint presentation, you would want those bones.

• 2 shoulder's of lamb,or one leg (If you want to go REALLY authentic dothraki, use goat)
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cardamom
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 tbs olive oil
• 1 onion, cut into 8ths
• 6 cloves of garlic sliced

FOR THE RICE:

• 2 1/2 c basmati rice(soak at least 30 mins before cooking)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 tbs oil
• 1 lb ground lamb
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbs cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 4 1/4 c lamb or chicken stock
• 1/2 c almonds, sliced and toasted
• 1/3 c pine nuts toasted
• 1/2 cup pistachios

 Preheat oven to 425.  Rub the spices all over your lamb with the oil. Place in a roasting pan and put into oven.

 


After 20 minutes take your pan from the oven and transfer to a dutch oven. cover the lamb with 1-2 cups of water, add onion and garlic. place back into the oven on 300 F, cooking for 2.5 hours for rare, 3 hours for medium or  3.5 hours for well.  I like rare.

When the lamb has an hour left start your rice.  In a sauce pan fry the onion with 2 tbs of oil. Add the ground lamb and cook. Add the rest of your spices, stir well and add rice.

 
Pour in the boiling stock, mix well and simmer covered for 10-20 mins until rice is tender, add more stock if it becomes dry. Drain and place on plate then add your lamb on top decorating the top with the nuts.Serve the broth from the pan for dipping, and the onions as a side.  NOMNOMNOM!