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"Part of him wanted nothing so much as to hear Bran laugh again, to sup on one of Gage’s beef- and- bacon pies, to listen to Old Nan tell her tales of the children of the forest and Florian the Fool." — A Game of Thrones

Excerpted from A FEAST OF ICE AND FIRE: THE OFFICIAL GAME OF THRONES COMPANION COOKBOOK by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel and Sariann Lehrer. Copyright © 2012 by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel and Sariann Lehrer. Excerpted by permission of Bantam Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

 

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup thick- cut bacon, diced or cut small
  • 1 1/2 pounds stew beef, cut into small pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1⁄3 cup prunes, sliced
  • 1⁄3 cup raisins
  • 1⁄3 cup dates, chopped
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons fl our
  • 1 batch Medieval Pastry Dough (see page 9) or dough for a double- crust 9- inch pie, unbaked, rolled into 2 rounds
  • 1 egg, beaten

Yield

Serves: 6 to 8

Preparation

We followed the recipe from A Propre New Booke of Cokery, simply swapping some thick- cut bacon in for the original marrow and letting the rest of the recipe be. The sweetness of the pie comes from the fruit, which dissolves as it cooks, providing a satisfying counterpoint to the tart vinegar and salty bacon. Then the fruit flavor fades into the background, and what remains is a sweet, rich meat pie with an easy medley of flavors.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.


Cook the diced bacon in a saucepan over medium heat until the fat runs from it, then drain off the fat. To the bacon pan, add the beef, spices, vinegar, and fruits. Add enough broth to thoroughly wet the mixture; the final consistency should be runny. Mix in the flour and cook on low heat until the juices form a gravy.

Let the meat mixture cool. Line a 9- inch pie pan with a round of pastry dough and fill it with the meat mixture. Add a pastry lid, turn the edges under, pinch them closed, and brush with beaten egg. Bake until the filling is bubbling and the pastry is cooked, about 40 minutes.