Entry 30: Foods of Thedas - Nordbotten Fruit Stew

Image Description: Two tall glasses of Nordbotten Fruit Stew wwith orange wedges and ice on a wooden cutting board.

Summer's end is here so let's make some celebratory drinks while we can!

For much of this year, I have focused my recipe content on person creations or adaptions of recipes I love but this will now change. For the rest of the year, blog entries will feature real Dragon Age food. Dragon Age: World of Thedas Book Volume 2 has within it a unique cookbook, real recipes made for Dragon Age and in turn for us, the fans.

Image Description: Bulk dried fruits, a small scale, and a bag of sugar.

This month's recipe from Thedas is an Anders beverage. Nordbotten Fruit Stew is a sweet, rare specialty drink of the Anderfels. It is largely made from rehydrating dried fruit with some spice and citrus. It is one of the easiest recipes I have had the pleasure of putting together. And there are a few different ways to serve and store this delicious concoction.

As usual I adapted this recipe to what I had available and to my tastes. The changes from the original recipe are slight so call it a regional difference. This is how Skyhold makes Nordbotten Fruit Stew! Or punch. Or juice. You'll see in the pictures. Or you can scroll all the way down for the full recipe.

Nordbotten Fruit Stew's taste is uniquely fruity, like the perfect spicy, warming blend of the flavors of summer and fall. It's refreshing when chilled and served with ice, and wholesome when enjoyed hot from a mug or tea cup. This is an excellent recipe for hazy end-of-summer parties or for cozier fall get-togethers.

To start, I set out my ingredients: dried apricots, prunes, raisins, dried cranberries, white sugar, an orange and a cinnamon stick.  I chose to weigh my dried fruit as measuring bulkier goods by volume can be inaccurate. The exact weight measurements are listed in the recipe below.

Image Description: From top left, clockwise - a bowl of dried apricots on a scale, next with cranberries, then prunes, and then raisins. 

Then I added everything except the sugar to a large pot...

Image Description: Dried fruit in a large pot with a sliced orange and cinnamon stick arranged like a flower.

And added ten cups of water.

Image Description: Dried fruit rehydrated in a large pot with a sliced orange and cinnamon stick mixed, and water.

This next part is the easiest: cover and set aside for 4 hours. (I wish I could say I played Dragon Age for 4 hours while the fruit rehydrated but alas my life has been busy in other ways.)

After 4 hours, I stirred in the sugar and brought the pot to a gentle boil.

Image Description: A cup of sugar with a bag of sugar in the background.

Once boiling, I reduced heat to simmer for about 10 minutes, covered, and stirred occasionally.

Image Description: Simmering, steaming Nordbotten Fruit Stew stirred with a wooden spoon.

I painstakingly waited another 10 minutes to allow the stew to rest, then served myself a tea cup of this aromatic, flavorful delight.

Image Description: An elegant tea cup of steaming fruit stew.

And then waited about hour for the stew to cool before transferring to a pitcher. At this stage, I explored different ways to serve and keep the stew. Scroll down for full serving directions.

Image Description: Chilled fruit stew in a pitcher.

I let the stew chill overnight to allow it to cool thoroughly. As a punch, you can simply pour or ladle the stew into a punch bowl and serve after chilling.

Image Description: Chilled fruit stew in a pitcher posed next to two tall glasses, filled with ice, on a wooden cutting
board with a sliced orange.

From the pitcher with fruit remaining, I used a small, metal strainer to pour a glass over ice without fruit bits or pulp. I also poured myself a glass with fruit just for fun.

Image Description: Chilled fruit stew in a pitcher poured into a metal strainer on a tall glass.

Ta-da!

Image Description: Chilled fruit stew in a pitcher posed next to two tall full glasses, rimmed with orange halves,
on a wooden cutting board.

To drain into a juice, use a funnel, a square of cheesecloth, a bottle or jar with a tight-fitting lid, and lots of patience.

Image Description: A wooden spoon carefully scooping chilled fruit stew from a pitcher onto a cheesecloth strainer.

And you can cut a larger square of cheesecloth to squeeze juice from the rehydrated fruit into a bowl...

Image Description: A large cheesecloth square laid over a large, metal strainer fixed to a metal bowl and filled with rehydrated fruit.

And then use a fine strainer or fresh cheesecloth to drain into the bottle or jar.

Image Description: Top - A full small metal strainer over a small funnel.
Bottom - A drained small metal strainer over a small funnel.

I got about 12 servings out of this strained bottle of delicious Nordbotten Fruit Stew. And the whole process of getting to this end point was a lot of fun. 

Image Description: A full, sealed bottle of Nordbotten Fruit juice on a wooden
cutting board with a sliced orange in the lower foreground. 

I hope you give this truly Thedosian treat a try!

Nordbotten Fruit Stew:

Ingredients:

8 ounces dried apricots

4 ounces dried prunes

4 ounces raisins

8 ounces dried cranberries

1 orange, sliced

1 cinnamon stick

10 cups water

1 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brandy (optional)

Directions:

Place dried fruit, orange, and cinnamon stick into a large cooking pot. Add water, cover and set aside for four hours. 

Once fruit is relatively rehydrated, add sugar and stir. Place pot on stove and bring to a boil over high heat. Keep covered, stir sparingly. 

Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer and stir. Allow to cook covered for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and stir once more. Allow stew to cool slightly (if adding brandy, stir in now). Ladle into tea cups to serve warm, include fruit if desired; or chill overnight in refrigerator before serving cold.

For serving cold:

Stew from a pitcher - pour into a tall glass over ice. To exclude fruit and pulp, place a metal strainer over a glass and pour fruit stew over ice. Chilled Nordbotten Fruit stew will remain for 3 to 4 days.

Fruit punch - Pour chilled stew into a large punch bowl with ladles. To keep cold for a prolonged period, add ice to a very large metal bowl, then place punch bowl in ice. Nordbotten Fruit punch will remain fresh for 6-8 hours. 

Fruit juice - Using a mesh strainer or cheesecloth, and a funnel, pour stew into a bottle or tall jar with a tight-fitting lid. Press or squeeze excess stew from rehydrated fruit with a fresh square of cheesecloth into a bowl, then using a fresh strainer, pour excess into bottle or jar. Seal bottle or jar and return to refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Serve in juice glasses or low ball glasses with ice if desired. Nordbotten Fruit juice will remain fresh for 5 to 7 days. 

Image Description: A nearly empty tall glass of Nordbotten Fruit Stew, a sliced orange,
and full bottle of juice on a wooden cutting board.

If you make and enjoy this amazingly delicious Nordbotten Fruit Stew or try out any of my recipes, please share pictures on social media and use the hashtag (#)FoodsofThedas.

Walk always in the Maker's light.


Like what you are reading? Great! Come back for a new entry on the third Thursday of each month (mostly). And have a look at my previous entries for other recipes, and Dragon Age-related trivia and oddities!

Have any friendly suggestions or cool ideas? Want me to veganize your favorite recipe? Please comment below. You can also email me at foodsofthedas@gmail.com, message me at AGSamuels on Reddit, or tweet me at @FoodsofThedas on Twitter. You can also follow me on Instagram, @foodsofthedas.


Foods of Thedas, formerly Gourmet Vegan Thedas.

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Source:

Dragon Age: World of Thedas Volume 2. www.darkhorse.com/Books/22-389/Dragon-Age-The-World-of-Thedas-Volume-2-HC
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