Graceling Recipes

Book

Graceling
by Kristen Cashore

Katsa and her cousin, Prince Raffin, enjoy a rich dinner of venison stew at King Randa’s court. Try making Venison Stew.

Afterwards, celebrate Bitterblue’s with Bitterblue’s Sweet Berry Pie.

Cook

Venison Stew

Complexity: Easy stew.
Time: 15 minutes prep plus 10 minutes cooking and 2 hours simmering.

Ingredients

1 (3 pound) venison roast cut into 1½ -inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil divided
2 onions diced
2 stalks celery finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir (or, an additional cup of chicken broth)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
5 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
2 bay leaves
1 ½ pounds new potatoes scrubbed and quartered
4 carrots peeled and sliced
1 cup frozen peas

Directions

Dry venison pieces with paper towel and season with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half the meat in a single layer and cook, without moving, until browned on one side, about 5 minutes.
Flip each piece of venison and continue cooking until browned on the other side. Transfer to a bowl. Heat another tablespoon of oil and repeat with remaining venison until browned. Transfer to bowl.
Heat last tablespoon of oil until shimmering. Add onion and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, about 30 seconds.
Stir in flour and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add tomato paste, wine (if using), chicken broth, thyme, bay leaves, and venison.
Scrape the bottom of the pan to catch any bits sticking to the bottom.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.
Stir in potatoes and carrots. Return to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer 1 hour longer, until venison is tender.
Remove bay leaves and any thyme stems. Stir in peas and cover for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cook

Bitterblue's Sweet Berry Pie

Complexity: Making pastry dough, mixing the filling.
Time: 30 minutes plus 1 hour chilling and 50 to 60 minutes.

Ingredients

Crust:

2 to 2 ½ cups flour
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, cut into pieces
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons ice water

Pie:

1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 cups washed and dried mix of blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and quartered strawberries
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Directions

Make the dough:

Place two cups of flour, the butter, and the salt in a food processor. Process just until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, 10 seconds. Add the ice water and pulse just until the pastry begins to hold together, about 6 to 8 times. Do not let it form a ball.
Divide the dough in half and place each half on a sheet of wax paper. Flatten each half of the dough into a disk. If the dough seems too sticky, sprinkle with additional flour, one tablespoon at a time. Wrap the pastry in the wax paper and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Make the pie:

In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, cornstarch, tapioca, and salt. Add the berries and toss with your hands until the berries are evenly coated.
Roll out each half of the pie dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12 inch circle. Place one half of the dough into the pie pan and press it into the edges.
Pile the berries into the dough-lined pie pan, sprinkling any remaining dry ingredients on top. Dot the surface with the butter, cover the berry mixture with the top crust and seal the edges by fluting.
Cut 5 or 6 slits in the top crust to let steam escape during cooking. Heat the oven to 400°F while you chill the pie in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes.
Put the pie on a baking sheet to catch any drips, bake it in the hot oven for 15 minutes, and then reduce the temperature to 350°F. Continue baking until the crust is golden and the filling juices that are bubbling through the vents and edges are thick, glossy, and slow, another 50 to 60 minutes. For the best texture for serving, cool the pie completely (which may take up to 5 hours), and then reheat slices or the whole pie just slightly before serving.