View source for The Culinary Travels of Alora Gaidin - Chapter 3: Andor

[[File:alora_andor.png|center|400px]]<br>
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''Author'': [[Alora Sionn]]<br>
''Published'': February 16 2021 [https://blog.tarvalon.net/?p=2286 Tar Valon Times Blog Link]<br>
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''The next stop on our tour was to be [[Caemlyn]], but the road to Caemlyn led us north through the city-state of [[Far Madding]]. The mud and lowlands of [[Tear]] quickly faded into the rolling Plains of Maredo as we traveled, camping out or staying in scattered small inns along the way. Traveling rough like this made us dream of arriving in Caemlyn and the delicious, steaming hot meals that awaited. Indeed, had the journey been quicker or more comfortable, we would not have bothered to stop in Far Madding; the cuisine was satisfying but nothing to write home about, and neither of us cared much for the place. As we were forced to travel through and stay in Far Madding I feel that I would be remiss in my duties to you, dear reader, if I did not at least make mention of this small city-state.''<br><br>
 
''It may sound strange after having been in Tear, in the company of an Illianer Sedai, to say that we still would prefer to visit and stay in Tear than Far Madding. The culture shock in Far Madding for both of us made it quite possibly my least favorite place to be in the [[Westlands]]. It’s a lovely trading town I’m sure, but they do not allow foreigners to trade in any but three markets; besides their xenophobia a few other points make Far Madding uncomfortable. I was cut off from the Source years ago, but [[Lok Enkee|Lok]] still finds it uncomfortable to not be able to channel. They restrict my weapons as if I have no honor to keep them sheathed unless in danger, or they smugly threaten to confiscate them. Undoubtedly, the most grievous offense would be the fact that the society itself is not an equal society. We as foreigners are already second class citizens, but Lok as a man is even lower and is treated as such by every woman we meet. The men are equally rude, possibly seeing him as an easy target for their own frustrations at being oppressed. In my [[Arafel|Arafellian]] culture, men and women are raised equally, treated equally with respect, both expected to perform the same duties and support each other in battle. So to see such blatant oppression of their menfolk was unforgivable.''<br><br>
 
''So with our unpleasant stay in Far Madding behind us, we looked forward to better things as we continued on to Caemlyn, our spirits lifting with every mile we traveled. The road took us through the hills and there was more camping and some hunting to be had. But finally, the shining walls and South Gate of Caemlyn came into view. After our less than ideal experience in the city-state that shall not be named further, we decided to splurge and stay at [https://blog.tarvalon.net/?p=725 The Queens Blessing]. The streets leading to the inn were clean and wide, it seemed every stone was polished and glowing. Andor was a very large and rich country, with a diverse selection of fine goods and exports, and it very much showed in its capital city.''<br><br>
 
''As always, and especially after this long journey, I looked forward to a nice comfy bed, a fire in the hearth, and a glorious hot meal. From the moment we entered the inn, and actually quite a bit before, the delicious scent of roasted meat and veg wafted through the air. Wine, fine ale, and brandy perfumed the air as we passed by the innkeeper’s domain during check in. It was a welcome sign of things to come.''<br><br>
 
''Andor, being a large, diverse land of forests, plains, and mountains, had a wealth of natural resources and foodstuffs available, such as various game animals from the forests, beef, grains, mutton, fine brandies and fresh herbs. On top of its own produce and game, the country also imported the best from other lands, giving its cuisine a wide variety of ingredients and fine alcoholic accompaniments. I was quite pleased to find that the smells coming from the kitchen on the day of our arrival included a whole roasted goose with roasted potatoes and veg in goose fat, stuffed with gingered wine apples and blackberries. In addition to this already sumptuous feast, it also came with a generous slice of lemon thyme bread, complete with honey butter, and a fine goblet of apple brandy from the [[Two Rivers]]. With a happy sigh we relaxed for the first time in days and prepared to enjoy.''<br><br>

[[File:Roast-Goose-768x576.jpg|center]]<br><br>

'''Roast Goose with Gingered Wine Apple stuffing'''<br>
* Whole roast goose, about 8-10 pounds<br>
* Butter<br>
* Thyme<br>
* Salt and pepper to taste<br>
* Carrots, chopped<br>
* Parsnips, chopped<br>
* Potatoes, chopped<br>
 
For the stuffing:
* Two or three large red apples, chopped into cubes<br>
* a cup of fresh washed blackberries<br>
* About a cup and a half of red wine<br>
* About 2 teaspoon ginger<br>
* About 1/2 teaspoon black pepper<br>
* About 3 teaspoon cinnamon<br>
* One whole orange, unpeeled, washed and stabbed a few times<br><br>

''Prepping a goose for cooking is different from turkey, but once you know the steps it’s not overly difficult.''<br><br>
 
First cut the wing tips off the goose. You don’t really have to per se but it will look like your goose has knife hands or like you roasted a dinosaur and that meat will get too dry to eat anyway. As you can see in the picture, I didn’t cut them off so that would be what you would get<br><br>
 
Make sure if the goose was frozen it is now thawed. You will need to scrape as much fat off the skin and out from under the skin as possible, it is a solid white color. Reserve this fat in a mason jar to cook the potatoes with (trust me you will want that fat, it is liquid gold with potatoes!).<br><br>
 
Wipe the outside skin of the goose down to dry and place in a roasting pan, then let dry in the fridge for 24 hours.<br><br>
 
When ready to roast, put on the counter to allow it to dry further as it returns to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 400F. While this is happening, get a small pot and add all the stuffing ingredients except the orange, bring to a low boil then simmer for about 10 minutes covered. Make sure that it is not too much extra liquid and spoon the apples and blackberries into the goose’s cavity. Once it’s fully stuffed, put the orange inside the cavity and tie the legs together.<br><br>
 
Mix fresh thyme, salt and pepper in with the creamed butter and rub generously over the skin of the goose. Roast the goose at 400F for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 375F and add about an inch of apple juice to the bottom of the pan. You will be cooking it about 20 mins per pound, and making sure that the internal temperature gets to 165F with an accurate meat thermometer.<br><br>
 
In the last hour of cooking, add the root veggies to the bottom of the pan. Make sure that as you baste (we basted every 20 mins) you also reserve some of the fat on the bottom into a mason jar to make sure it doesn’t fill up too quickly, because it will. Save this fat for roasting more veg and potatoes later!<br><br>
 
Serve and carve on the table to impress and delight your friends and family! The stuffing is great with the goose or as a side dish, it also makes a great pie filling!<br><br>
 
'''Lemon Thyme Crusty Bread'''<br>
* 3 cups bread flour<br>
* 1 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt<br>
* 1/2 teaspoon dry yeast<br>
* 2 teaspoons fresh thyme<br>
* 1/4 cup lemon zest<br>
* 1 1/2 cups warm water<br><br>

Whisk all dry ingredients together in a large bowl before adding water. Mix with a spatula then use your hands to lightly knead in the lemon zest until the dough forms a ball; it may be dry so you can add a couple tsp of water to help.<br><br>
 
Cover the bowl with the dough in plastic wrap and set in a warm place for 12-18 hours. Once risen, preheat the oven to 450F and place your enamel pot into the oven for 30 minutes empty.<br><br>
 
Flour your hands and turn the dough out onto a floured surface, gently kneading until it is once again formed into a ball. Cover again with plastic wrap until 30 minutes passes, then turn the dough into the hot pot. Do not grease.<br><br>
 
Bake for 12-15 mins uncovered, and let cool on a rack outside of the pan for 40 mins before slicing and enjoying with honey butter and apple brandy!<br><br>
 
The author would like to thank [[Arisaema Draconis|Arisaema Sedai]] for her knowledgeable support in roasting geese!<br><br>

[[Category:Alora Sionn TVT Articles]]
[[Category:2021 Tar Valon Times Content]]