Honey-Cider Roasted “Nagra” with Mint
“ Then the centerpiece of the feast was revealed: a giant boar , glistening with sauce.” (Eldest 107)
“Eragon had never tasted anything like the boar. It was juicy, soft, and oddly spicy–as if the meat had been soaked in honey and cider–which was enhanced by the mint used to flavor the pork” (Eldest 108)
Ah the Inheritance Cycle, or the Eragon Books as the series is more commonly known. Though not quite the cultural phenomenon that Harry Potter and Narnia were ( and lacking in a decent film adaptation, to boot), these Tolkienesque tales of a powerful dragon-mounted sorcerer enthralled me through much of my childhood and continue to today.
What I’ve also come to notice is that these books are woefully lacking in fan-recreations of the food described within. A damn shame, if I must say so myself. Well, today, I’m ready to fix that. Journey with Eragon, Saphira, and their dwarvish companion, Orik to the stone city of Tarnag, where the dwarves have prepared us the most distinguished of dishes.
Nagra, in the series’ second book, Eldest, is described as a wild boar the size of a horse; a dangerous beast to tackle in a hunt. It is for this reason why Nagra is only served to those considered by the dwarves to possess great valor. Though normal-sized boars exist in the real world, wild boar meat can only be found at specialty butchers, or, you could hunt it yourself. As I like to keep my food affordable, I’ve replaced the lean meat of a boar with the leanest cut I could find on its domesticated cousin; pork tenderloin.
Tupperware (for marinating)
Cast Iron/ Oven-Safe Skillet
1 and ¾-2lb Pork Tenderloin
1/3 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
3 Cloves Garlic (Minced or grated)
Garnish: 18 leaves fresh mint.
Cut tenderloin into 3 evenly sized pieces. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Mix all marinade ingredients in a tupperware. Stab meat with a fork a few times (this allows the marinade to better soak into the meat). Place meat in tupperware. Close tupperware and give it a shake so the marinade coats the meat. Let meat marinade for 30 minutes to an hour.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. While the oven heats up, put your olive oil in your oven-safe skillet and turn your burner to a medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, Place the meat in the skillet and cook for 3 minutes, turning with your spatula the whole way through. Once your three minutes are up and the oven is ready, slip your oven mitts on and place your meat, skillet and all into the oven. Cook the meat for 45 minutes or until the internal temperature is 145 degrees. While meat is roasting, glaze the meat even ten minute or until you run out of glaze.
For your glaze, grate the outer skin (or zest) off your lemon. Then juice the lemon. Combine zest and juice with other glaze ingredients and set aside.
After your 45 minutes are up, take your meat out and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Serve the pork to your esteemed guests garnished with three leaves of mint per serving of meat.
You might me wondering what that little purple pile is sitting next to the corn. Well, according to Eldest, mushrooms are one of the favored foods of the dwarves, so in their honor, I have made what I term ‘drunken mushrooms”.
(Corn and broccoli and totally optional)
1 cup/package Edible mushrooms of any kind (I used baby bella in this but I can totally see this recipe with something more exotic like shiitake or oyster mushrooms. If you happen to be a mushroom forager who knows what he’s doing, have at it.)
1/3 cup cheap red wine (don’t waste the good stuff in recipes, folks)
Kosher Salt and pepper to taste
Slice your mushrooms into half-inch pieces. Put you olive oil in your pan and cook your mushrooms at a medium high heat till soft (about 2.5-3 minutes). Add your wine and spices and continue cooking until the wine has evaporated. Serve immediately.
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