We’re doubling up on recipes today! There are SO many awesome foods in Lord of the Rings, so it was the only way I could fit in everything I wanted today make. ^.^ For the stew, I combined a method I found on The Spruce Eats with my own list of ingredients and created what is now one of my new favorite recipes. The meat is savory, mild, and tender (it falls right off the bone!), and the broth is perfectly seasoned. It’s definitely a dish Sam Gamgee would be proud to serve Mister Frodo!

For the lembas, I used a recipe featured on Tea with Tolkien as a jumping off point and experimented with it from there. The original recipe makes a thicker, slightly sweeter cookie with almond pieces in it—which sounds delicious, don’t get me wrong—but I was in the mood for a thinner, simpler cookie. It took a few tries, but I FINALLY came up with a version I loved. It’s delicate and faintly sweet, almost a cross between a cookie and a savory biscuit. The almond-lemon flavor combo is just the sort of subtle, fresh, back-to-nature flavor you’d expect to find in Elven food. Husband and baby loved it too! 🙂

A

Rabbit Stew with Lembas

“What a hobbit needs with a coney,” he said to himself, “is some herbs and roots, especially taters—not to mention bread. Herbs we can manage, seemingly…a few bay leaves, some thyme and sage will do—before the water boils.”

— The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

 

INGREDIENTS:

• For the Stew
  • 2 rabbits (roughly 2 lbs each)
  • 1 cup flour, separated
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • 1/2 tsp sage
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 8 cups vegetable stock
  • 6 small or 4 large red potatoes
  • 3 carrots
  • 2 tbsp snipped fresh parsley
• For the Lembas
  • 1 1/3 cup flour
  • 1/3 cup finely ground almonds
  • 2 tsp lemon zest
  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp lemon extract
  • 1 tsp almond extract

 

Makes 6-8 bowls of stew and 12 pieces of lembas

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. 1. 1. FOR THE STEW: Break down the rabbit (this quick Youtube video with Paul Qui is an easy reference if you need it). I recommend cutting away the rib bones and saving them for rabbit stock, along with the spines. This helps avoid the issue of super small bones in your stew. You can technically cut away all the bones, but I like to leave most of them in. They keep the meat from drying out and add a little extra flavor.
      2. Pour 3/4 cup of the flour on a plate. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large stock pot. Working in small batches, dredge the rabbit pieces in the flour and brown the pieces for 3-5 minutes on each side in the oil, removing them to a clean plate when each batch is done. Dice the onion and set aside.
      3. Transfer all the browned rabbit pieces back to the stock pot. Add the onion, seasonings, and vegetable stock. Stir to combine. Heat to boiling, then turn the heat to low and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. While you wait, peel and chop your carrots and quarter your potatoes.
         
      4. Add the carrots and potatoes and cook for 20 minutes more or until the potatoes are cooked through. Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup flour with 1/3 cold water until smooth and whisk it into the pot, along with the parsley. Allow to heat, stirring regularly, until the mixture has thickened (approximately 5 minutes).
      5. FOR THE LEMBAS: In a small bowl, whisk together your flour, ground almonds, and lemon zest. Set aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat your butter and sugar together on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg until well combined, then beat in the extracts. Gradually beat in the flour mix until combined.
         
      6. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thickness (flour the rolling pin as well). Cut the dough into a 12×7.5 inch rectangle, and cut it into 3×2.5 rectangles (you should wind up with 12). Score an X onto the top of each rectangle. Go over the X with your knife a second time to make sure it doesn’t disappear while baking.
         
      7. Transfer the squares to your baking sheet and chill for 5 minutes. Bake 10-12 minutes until the tops are set and the edges are just beginning to brown. Allow to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
         
      8. Ladle out your stew into the bowls of eagerly waiting hobbits and follow up with a couple squares of lembas! 🙂

 

Check out my other Tolkien recipes!

Roasted Hens with Woodland Wine from The Hobbit

Beorn’s Nut Bread with Fruited Honey

Dragon Scale Madeleines from The Hobbit

Tom Bombadil’s White Bread with Basil Butter, Honey, and Berries