Oysters, Clams & Cockles | Game of Thrones Inspired Recipes
The Starving Chef is supported by Hungry People like you. When you make a purchase through an affiliate link on my site, I may earn a little bit of cash on the side (at no extra cost to you) to help keep my kitchen running. Read our disclosures here.
“A girl is Arya Stark of Winterfell, and I’m going home.”
– Ayra Stark to Jaqen H’ghar
For today’s Game of Thrones’ themed recipe, we meet up with Ayra in Braavos where she’s selling oysters, clams and cockles. If you aren’t caught up on the most recent season of Game of Thrones, be warned there may be mild spoilers in this post!
Ayra habitually sells oysters, clams and cockles on her morning route while training with the Faceless Man. She frequently sells to a sea merchant who eats the oysters raw with vinegar. And because where I live in the real world is not directly on a seashore, I was unable to find cockles – though fresh mussels work all the same. I’m mildly skeptical of serving raw seafood, living so far inland, that I boiled my crustaceans in a garlic broth prior to serving.
I’d like to imagine in Braavos that a wide array of shellfish were sold on the market and that Ayra would sell whatever she could get her hands on in order to get closer to “the Thin Man” to kill him. She probably sold a variety of goods to him to keep him happy while she plotted.
The Thin Man preferred his oysters with vinegar – a common snack in Braavos. For my oysters, clams and mussels, I prepared a simple shallot mignonette to be served in the shells for a boost of flavor. If Ayra had sold this to the Thin Man, I’m sure Ayra could have killed the Thin Man before she saw one of her main targets.
Valar Morghulis.
Oysters, Clams & Cockles | Game of Thrones Inspired Recipes
Ingredients
- 16 oz raw oysters
- 16 oz raw clams
- 16 oz cockles or can sub cooked mussles
FOR MIGNONETTE SAUCE:
- 1 shallot minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon horseradish minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley + more for topping
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
FOR CRAYFISH (OPTIONAL):
- 16 oz raw crayfish
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic broth base or can sub seafood stock
Instructions
- Mince the shallot, garlic and horseradish. Add to a bowl with the apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, red pepper flakes, fresh parsley and oregano. Season with salt. Chill for at least thirty minutes.
- Thoroughly scrub the shells under cold water until they are clean. Debeard the mussels . Discard any shells that are open and do not close when tapped. Keep chilled until ready to cook.
- Pour the water into a shallow pan with a lid. Stir in the garlic base until dissolved. Season with salt to taste. Bring to a simmer. Add the shells, flat side down. Cover and cook for 3-6 minutes, until all the shells are open. Discard any that do not open. Remove from the broth. Add the crayfish, if using, to the broth and boil for 4-5 minutes, until cooked/heated through and bright red.
- Pry the oysters apart (they will not open like the clams) and serve on half shells. Serve warm or chilled. Gently loosen the meat from all the shells, but leave it on the shell for serving. Spoon a teaspoon or two of the vinegar mix onto each shell and serve while plotting the demise of the diner. Enjoy!
