Tyroshi Honeyfingers – Game of Thrones Inspired Mothers Day

Serves 6

Happy Mothers Day everyone!

Game of Thrones is a hugely popular show on HBO on Sundays.  I read the first novel in the Song of Ice and Fire saga – A Game of Thrones – half a decade or more ago and was very excited when the show started t air.  It’s gritty, suspenseful, action packed with a snaking, meandering, shocking plot that keeps you glued to the page, or screen.  This is all well and good, but what does this have to do with Mothers Day?  The show is full of mothers of all kind: fiercely protective ones, overly indulgent ones, vindictive ones and even a mother of dragons.  I think it’s a great way to celebrate Mothers Day by acknowledging that parenting is different around the world, but mothers have always been and continue to be held in high regard no matter what culture you encounter, real or fictional.

George R. R. Martin’s novels are full of feasts with tables packed with platters of food, street vendors hawking their fare in crowded side streets and the general sights, smells and tastes of a varied and meticulously thought out cuisine of his fantasy world.  Once such dish mentioned are Tyroshi Honeyfingers – a sweet street food – sold in the alleys of Tyrosh (a Free City in Essos) where one of the main characters, Daenerys the Mother of Dragons, spent part of her childhood.  She remembers them fondly in a time where money and good memories were scarce.

“…we seldom had enough coin to buy anything…well, except for a sausage now and again, or honeyfingers…do they have honeyfingers in the Seven Kingdoms, the kind they bake in Tyrosh?” Daenerys Targaryen in A Game of Thrones.

The official cookbook of the series (yes there is one) called A Feast of Ice and Fire details what the recipe of Tyroshi Honeyfingers might be.  The recipe is similar to an old Roman recipe for honeyfingers with hints of modern Italian Struffoli thrown in.  These little pastry ‘fingers’ are totally delicious and so easy to make that I thought it was worth sharing.  There are a lot of steps so it may look involved, but the part that takes the longest is actually shaping the pastry dough into small pastry ‘fingers.’  Otherwise these whip up and fry up quite quickly.

Street vendors had to be able to make these quickly so they would be constantly preparing large quantities of pastry dough that they can fry up fast for busy customers.  With so much competition on a busy side street I would imagine honeyfinger vendors had to hook and lead potential customers to their stalls by the nose!  This version is modified from the original version with my own touches to make it taste as well as smell even more delicious with just the right amount of sweetness.  Let’s get started.

Tyroshi Honeyfingers – Game of Thrones Inspired – Recipe

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil, enough for 1” depth in your frying pan

For Pastry:

• 2 cups flour, sifted
• 3 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1 tangerine, zested (substitute with orange)
• 3 Tbsp. butter, at room temperature cut into small pieces
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup warm milk
• ¼ cup warm water

For Honey Syrup:

• ¼ cup honey, good quality
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• ¼ cup water
• ½ stick cinnamon

Instructions:

1. To make pastry dough: mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, zest of 1 lemon and the zest of 1 tangerine (or orange) in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with dough hook attachment.
2. Add butter one piece at a time and continue to mix on low speed until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Add in egg, milk and water and knead at medium speed until dough is soft and elastic, 5 – 6 minutes.  If mixture appears too dry add warm water a few drops at a time until desired consistency is achieved.  If dough appears too watery, add more flour.  If you do not have a stand mixer, you can knead by hand until similar results are achieved.
4. Cover and keep aside for 15 minutes.
5. To make Honey Syrup:  in the meantime, warm a small, non-stick pan over medium heat.  Add all ingredients under Honey Syrup and heat until honey and sugar melt together and the mixture starts to thicken once more, 4 – 5 minutes.  Cover and set over warming zone as you work on pastry.
6. To assemble Pastry ‘fingers’:  heat a large, heavy bottom pan over medium heat; add vegetable oil an inch deep.  Heat this slowly as you work on the pastry.
7. Remove pastry dough to a clean work surface and cut into 4 equal pieces.  Wrap three pieces in cling film as you work on the first piece.
8. Knead the first piece a few times until soft and roll into a long rope.  This can be achieved by holding the dough between your palms and sliding your palms forwards and back in an alternating motion.  Another way is to roll dough between the work surface and your palm until a long thin rope about the thickness of your index finger is achieved.
9. Cut this rope into 2” pieces, arrange them on a tray and cover with cling film as you work on the other three pieces the same way.
10. Once you’ve cut the pastry into ‘fingers’ you are ready to fry them.  Test the oil’s readiness by frying one pastry ‘finger’ to see how long it takes for it to turn golden brown and cook our raw pastry dough on the inside.  It should take about 1 minute.  If the oil is too hot the pastry will brown too fast and not cook on the inside.  If oil is not hot enough the pastry will become too soggy and not crisp up.
11. Once oil is at the right temperature, fry the pastry fingers a few at a time for about 1 minute.  Remove them from the oil and let them drain on a wire rack or paper towel.  Keep them covered so they remain warm.
12. Once you’ve fried half, you can arrange them on a tray and drizzle honey syrup on top.
13. Fry the other half the same way, arrange them on the tray and drizzle them with honey syrup as well.

Serve warm with the remaining honey syrup on the side.  This is great as a dessert with a cup of strong coffee or can be served at tea time for an elegant meal.  The lemon zest and tangerine zest do not lose their fragrance even once the pastry is fried and will entice the nostrils as well as tastebuds.  These will disappear fast!

Butter Chicken Kothu Roti

Serves 2

Kothu roti is a very popular street food throughout Sri Lanka.  It’s also a favourite take-out dish in many Sri Lankan and South Indian restaurants.  Usually kothu roti is stir fried with chopped roti or parata and spicy chicken curry, but this version uses leftover butter chicken to add a fusion twist to the old favourite.  Rotis and paratas are traditional varieties of flat bread found throughout Sri Lanka, India and the Caribbean and frozen versions can be found in the frozen aisle of most supermarkets or purchased at takeout restaurants.  Premade rotis (you can even find pre-chopped rotis at Sri Lankan grocery stores) make this dish a snap to make.  If you make this dish with frozen roti or parata, follow the package instructions on how to warm before cutting them into squares.  Then follow this recipe as instructed.

The distinct flavours of curry leaves, green chilies and finely sliced yellow onion still add an authentic Sri Lankan street fare touch, while the rich tomato cream based butter chicken sets this recipe apart.  The final distinguishing feature of this dish is the addition of mozzarella or cheddar cheese which makes this butter chicken kothu roti ooey gooey and absolutely delicious and fun to eat.  Let’s get started.

Butter Chicken Kothu Roti – Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp. butter or margarine
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ inch piece ginger, minced
• 2 green chilies, finely sliced
• 1 sprig curry leaves, separated and finely sliced (more for garnish)
• 1 yellow onion, finely sliced
• Salt, to taste
• 1 tsp. ground dry red chilies (optional)
• 6 – 7 rotis or paratas, sliced into ½ inch squares
• 1 cup butter chicken sauce and chicken
• 1 egg
• ½ lime, juiced (more to serve)
• ½ cup mozzarella or cheddar cheese, shredded (optional)

Instructions:

1. Heat butter or margarine over medium-high in a large heavy-bottom non-stick pan.  Add the garlic, ginger, green chilies and curry leaves and sauté until fragrant, 1 minute.  Add the onion and salt and continue to sauté until onions are translucent.
2. Add the rotis or paratas and stir to combine.   Add the butter chicken and continue to sauté until well blended.  Add the ground dry red chilies, if using, and stir fry for 2 minutes.
3. Make a well in the middle, crack in egg and scramble until set and fold into the kothu roti.  Squeeze in lime juice and continue to stir fry until kothu roti starts to colour slightly.
4. Add the mozzarella or cheddar cheese, if using, combine and turn off heat.  For a healthier version divide between two serving dishes after Step 3, top each with 2 Tbsp. mozarella or cheddar cheese, let melt for a few seconds and serve right away.

Serve right away garnished with curry leaves and lime wedges on the side.  This is a good way to use up leftover butter chicken or other curries.  You can substitute the butter chicken for Chettinad Chicken Curry, Egg Curry or Soy Curry as well.  Any saucy, flavourful curry will work well in this recipe.  You can even try it with Thai Yellow Curry or Chili Chicken!

Restaurant Style Butter Chicken – Best/Healthiest/Fastest

Serves 4

Butter chicken is possibly the most recognized and ordered Indian dish around the world.  Succulent pieces of chicken are cooked in an aromatic, flavourful, rich, smooth tomato cream sauce.  The subtle hints of ground dry red chilies, ground coriander and garam masala elevate this dish to its status as the most enjoyed Indian curry around.  With a few restaurant secrets and some lower calorie alternatives you can enjoy Punjabi Murgh Mekhani (more popularly known as butter chicken) that looks and tastes just like at the restaurant without any of the extra calories!  Oh, and it takes just half an hour to make.  Follow this recipe and you’ll be totally delighted with the end results.  Let’s get started.

Restaurant Style Butter Chicken – Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (this is a good way to use leftover rotisserie chicken or tandoori chicken)
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• ½ cinnamon stick, 4 crushed cardamom pods, 4 cloves
• 4 cloves garlic, grated
• ½ inch piece of ginger, grated
• 1 yellow onion, chopped fine
• 500ml crushed tomatoes
• ¼ lemon, juiced
• ½ – 1 tsp. salt, or to taste
• 1 tsp. ground dry red chilies
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• ¼ tsp. turmeric
• 1 cup water
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 Tbsp. ground almonds or almond paste
• 1 tsp. garam masala (if you do not have whole spices then use 2 tsp.)
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. cream, for garnish (optional)
• Handful coriander leaves, for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

1. Heat a large, non-stick heavy bottom pan over medium-high and add butter.  Add the cinnamon stick, crushed cardamom pods and cloves and sauté until aromatic, 1 minute.
2. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté a few seconds; add the onions and salt and sauté until onions are soft, 2 minutes.
3. Add the ground dry red chilies, ground coriander and turmeric, toss and add the crushed tomatoes.  Reduce heat to medium-low, add the lemon juice and water, stir and simmer for 10 minutes until tomatoes are no longer raw and sauce starts to thicken.
4. If you want a really smooth, restaurant style sauce you can turn off the heat and blend everything together using an emersion blender until smooth.  Turn heat back on to medium-low, add the chicken and cook for 1 minute to let the chicken warm through.
5. Add the milk and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes.  Add the ground almonds or almond paste and stir until well combined and the curry starts to thicken slightly.
6. Add the garam masala and sugar and stir until well combined.  Taste test and adjust salt and sugar according to taste.

   

To serve, transfer to a large serving dish, drizzle with cream and top with coriander leaves.  Butter chicken goes well with naan and plain white cooked basmati rice.  The secret to achieving restaurant style butter chicken is to use canned crushed tomatoes instead of pureeing tomatoes yourself.  The deep red colour of the canned crushed tomatoes will provide the necessary colour without adding artificial coloring.  The ground almonds or almond paste give this dish an authentic taste as traditionally ground nuts were used in India to thicken curries.  The sugar provides a nice balance to the other flavours, which makes for a tasty and nuanced dish.

Galette de Rois – King Cake

Serves 8

French pastries are famous the world over and this cake is a great example why.  It’s one of the most unique and delicious pastries I’ve had.  The taste is not comparable to anything else!   Golden, flakey puff pastry is filled with an amazing sweetened almond cream that’ll blow your mind.  Once you have a bite you’ll want to eat the whole thing yourself.  Galette de rois is usually served during Christmas with a feve or prize hidden inside.  Whoever finds the feve would be king for a day and hence the name.  Whether you make it for Christmas or for a party or just to enjoy at home, try this recipe.  For all its deliciousness it’s very easy and simple to make if you use store-bought puff pastry.  It’s much simpler than making it yourself and looks and tastes much better.  Let’s get started.

Galette de Rois – Recipe

Ingredients

For Almond Cream Filling:

• 1 cup almond flour
• ¼ to ½ cup sugar (according to taste)
• 3 Tbsp. butter, at room temperature
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• Zest of 1 small orange or lemon (optional)

For Pastry:

• 1 package puff pastry (a package of two)
• 1 egg, beaten

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and cover a cookie sheet or baking tray with parchment paper and brush with a little bit of the softened butter and set aside.
2. Combine almond flour and sugar, add butter and orange or lemon zest (if using) and blend together.
3. Add vanilla and egg and mix until well combined.  Cover and chill until puff pastry is prepared.
4. To prepare the puff pastry, roll out one half of the puff pastry and trace and cut a 9” circle using a plate or cake pan.
5. Lay it on the prepared baking tray and prick several times with a fork.
6. Spoon almond filling on top making sure to leave bare a 1” border around the edge.
7. Roll out second half of the puff pastry the same way as the first and cut out another 9” circle.
8. Brush the bare edge of the first puff pastry with the beaten egg and lay the second one carefully on top pressing down around the edges to seal the two together.  Press down with your finger and crimp the sealed edge for added protection.
9. Brush the top with egg wash and score a zig zag pattern with the tip of a knife if you like ensuring you do not score all the way down to the filling.  Cut a few slits strategically around the top as well in order to vent the steam.
10. Place in the oven and bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until pastry puffs up and is golden brown on top.  You may have to slit the pastry a few times if it puffs up unevenly to release steam trapped underneath the unevenly risen places.

Preparing the almond cream filling:

         

Preparing the puff pastry:

         

Eggwash and scoring the pastry:

  

To serve, let cool for at least 15 minutes, slice into 8 and serve with strong coffee or tea.  This is so good I can’t stop eating it.

Nandu Curry – Jaffna Style Crab Curry

Serves 4

Ahh I love crab curry!  It’s one of my favourite ways to eat crab and this recipe for Jaffna Crab Curry is one I’ve enjoyed since I was young.  It’s a treat and a comfort food all in one.   It’s so spicy, savory and absolutely delicious that I can keep munching on the succulent crab meat drenched in this amazing curry all day.   There have been days when I’ve been tempted to eat this for every meal.  OK, not just tempted; I actually have had it for every meal.  Ahem, it’s that good.  Also, for such a yummy curry it actually doesn’t take much time to make.  Tasty, easy and quick?  Let’s get started.

Jaffna Crab Curry – Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 blue crabs, cleaned, cut in half and legs separated
• 4 – 5 Tbsp. good quality spicy curry powder (go for a Sri Lankan or Madras style curry powder)
• ½ tsp. turmeric
• 1 ½ tsp. salt, or to taste
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• ½ onion, chopped
• 3 sprigs curry leaves
• 1 ½ tsp. fenugreek seeds
• 1 Tbsp. tamarind pulp, seeds removed and resolved in 3 Tbsp. warm water
• ½ cup thick coconut milk
• 1 cup water, or more if you want a thinner curry
• ½ tsp. garam masala (optional)
• 1 tsp. sugar (optional)
• 1 Tbsp. canola oil

Instructions

1. Combine the first 5 ingredients and set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.
2. Once marinated heat oil in a large, heavy-bottom non-stick pan on medium and add onions, curry leaves and fenugreek seeds.  Saute until onion is slightly golden brown.
3. Add the crab mixture and water, cover and cook until crabs are tender, 15 minutes.
4. Add tamarind mixture, coconut milk and cook until all the flavours come together, 10 minutes.  Simmer for longer if you want a thicker curry.
5. Add the garam masala and sugar, if using, stir through and remove from heat.

Serve with cooked white rice or pittu and watch it disappear.  You can also remove the crabs to a plate and strain the curry into a separate dish to serve to guests.