Frey Pie

Click here to see the scene in Game of Thrones where Arya serves Lord Walder Frey his dinner.

Sorry to those to don’t like gory TV shows. This scene actually features some great acting and was a wonderful performance by both actors, David Bradley and Maisie Williams. Obviously for this recipe we are going to create an alternative version since no one wants to eat people. I decided to try and make a classic meat pie instead. Recently having come back from a trip to London, I had a chance to taste some incredible British foods, including shepherd’s pie. My replica of Frey Pie is going to be similar to my Pigeon Pie recipe, but with a British twist.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 Onion
• 2 Cloves of Garlic
• 4 oz of Monterey Mushrooms
• Bacon
• Ground Beef
• 3 Russet Potatoes
• 4 tbs Butter

STEPS

• Peele and cut the potatoes in to quarters and boil in a pot until a fork can be pushed in with no resistance.
• Strain the potatoes and mash them until smooth. (You can add butter and heavy cream to make the potatoes extra creamy)
• Roll out pie dough to about a quarter-inch thick and line the inside a springform pan. The pie dough is much easier to work with when it’s cold so if the dough starts to get too warm, pop it in the fridge for a few minutes.
• Save about half of the dough for the top of the pie and the braided lattice around the edge.
• Dice the onion, mushroom, and garlic cloves and sauté along with the ground beef. Don’t worry about cooking the meat all the way through because we are going to finish this off in the oven.
• Layer the potatoes and ground beef in the springform pan.
• Drape the remaining pie crust over the top of the pan and to crimp the edge to create a seal.
• With the remaining pie dough, roll into long, thin sheets and cut out three long strips of dough. Using your best hair braiding skills, try to work the dough into a braid as best you can. I had to make two separate braids and connect them.
• Before you place your pie in the oven, cut a few slits in the center of the pie crust to let out steam during baking. Also brush the top of the pie with either melted butter or an egg wash to give the crust a golden-brown finish.
• Place in a 400º F oven for 30 minutes.

As a fan of Arya, it was gratifying to see her get revenge on the people who killed members of her family. The Freys are most famous for killing two of the Starks after inviting them into their home for the scene known as the “Red Wedding.” It was a huge shock for fans of the show, who never expected two of the show’s protagonists to just get killed out of nowhere. Seeing a Stark get revenge on the Freys was at the top of my list of things I wanted to see before the end of the series. For all intents and purposes, the Freys really only wanted power and respect. But as those who watch the show know, “when you play the game of thrones, you win or you die.” -Cersei Lannister