The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook (23 page)

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pound lamb or ox kidneys, cut into ¼-inch pieces

1. For the crust, whisk together the flour, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Scatter the chunks of butter or margarine over the flour and rub it in using a pastry cutter or your fingertips. Sprinkle the ice water over the flour and fold it in with a spatula until the dough sticks together. If it's too dry, add ice water one tablespoon at a time. Remove 1/3 of the dough for the lid and reserve the rest for the base. Form both pieces of dough into disks, wrap them in plastic wrap, and refrigerate them while you prepare the filling, at least 30 minutes.
   

2. For the filling, sear the meat in batches over high heat in a large skillet on both sides until deeply browned. Do not overcrowd the skillet or the meat will exude too much liquid and will not brown well. Set the meat aside and wipe out the skillet.
   

3. Add the oil to the skillet and heat it. Add the onions and sauté over medium heat until the onions are golden brown. Add the garlic and sauté for just a few seconds until it's fragrant.
   

4. Stir in the meat. Sprinkle the flour over the meat and mix well. Slowly stir in the broth, then the tomato paste. The mixture will be very thick. Add the salt, pepper, and kidneys and cook, covered for 10 minutes. Uncover, raise the heat, and boil until the mixture is even thicker, about 5 minutes. Pour the filling onto a rimmed baking sheet and spread it around to cool it quickly. Cool the filling to room temperature.
   

5. To assemble the pudding, place a shallow bowl upside-down in a large pot and fill the pot 1/3 of the way with water. Bring to a boil. Grease and flour a 2-quart bowl with a tight-fitting lid. On a generously floured surface, roll out the larger disk of dough to a 14-inch circle. Fold the dough in quarters and unfold it in the prepared bowl, carefully easing the dough into the bowl and letting the edges hang over the rim. Roll out the second disk to an 8-inch circle.
   

6. Scrape the filling into the pastry-lined bowl. Cover the filling with the second round of dough. Press the edges together and fold them over (not under). You should have a rim of at least ½ inch to allow room for the dough to expand. Snap the lid tightly onto the bowl and carefully place it in the pot. The water should come halfway up the sides. Simmer for 2½ hours, checking the water level occasionally and adding more water as necessary.
   

7. Use oven mitts to carefully lift out the bowl. To serve, simply scoop out servings with a large spoon.
   

Serves 6

If you can't find kidneys or prefer not to use them, use a pound of sliced mushrooms instead.

Ron, the man with the indestructible appetite, actually forgets to eat his steak and kidney pie in his amazement that Harry, instead of being punished for flying on a broomstick, is placed on the Quidditch team as the youngest Seeker in a century (see
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
, Chapter 9).

Pie Crust

2¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

9 tablespoons chilled vegetable shortening, cut into chunks

8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold butter, cut into chunks

½ to ¾ cup ice water

Filling

Use the same ingredients as the filling for Steak and Kidney Pudding 1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for brushing over the crust

1. To make the crust, place the flour and salt in a standing mixer or food processor and stir or pulse to combine. Scatter the shortening and butter over the flour mixture and stir or pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
   

2. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Sprinkle ½ cup of the ice water over the mixture and fold it in with a spatula until the dough holds together. Add the rest of the water 1 tablespoon at a time if the dough is too dry (better too much water than too little).
   

3. Divide the dough in half, form the two halves into disks, wrap them in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days before using.
   

4. To make the filling, follow the instructions for cooking the filling in the Steak and Kidney Pudding recipe.
   

5. To assemble the pie, preheat the oven to 425°F. Place a baking sheet on the lowest rack to catch any drips. Remove one disk of dough from the refrigerator and roll it out on a generously floured surface to a 12-inch circle. Fold the circle into quarters and unfold it in a 9-inch pie pan, easing it in gently.
   

6. Scrape the filling into the pastry-lined pan and smooth it to the edges. Roll out the second disk of dough to a 12-inch circle. Fold the dough in quarters and unfold it over the filling. Trim the overhang about ¾ inch over the rim of the pan. Fold the overhang under and crimp the edges together with a fork or your fingers. Brush the egg over the top of the pie and then cut four slits in the top for the vents. You can use dough scraps to create leaves or other shapes to decorate the pie. Attach the decorations with a bit of water to create a “glue.”
   

7. Carefully place the pie on the baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F and bake until golden brown, another 30 minutes. If the edges start to burn, cover them with strips of aluminum foil. At the end of the baking time, remove the pie from the oven and let it set for 20 minutes before cutting it to give the filling a chance to firm up.
   

Serves 8

The day Harry is to spend time in detention with Professor Lockhart (helping him to answer his fan mail), Harry eats his shepherd's pie without much appetite, dreading his upcoming detention. If he could foretell the future, he'd have a lot more on his mind, because during his detention he will hear a terrifying, murderous voice in the walls that no one else can hear (see
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
, Chapter 7).

1½ pounds ground lamb or beef

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

½ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters

½ stick (4 tablespoons) butter

½ cup half-and-half or whole milk

1½ teaspoons salt

1. Place a baking sheet on the lowest oven rack to catch drips. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
   

2. In a large skillet or wide saucepan, brown the meat, breaking up the clumps with a wooden spoon, until it is completely browned and crumbly. Drain the fat off the meat and transfer to a plate. Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel. Add the oil. Heat the oil and add the onions. Sauté the onions over medium heat until they turn golden brown. Add the garlic and sauté a few seconds until fragrant. Return the meat to the skillet; stir to combine.
   

3. Sprinkle the flour over the meat mixture and stir it in. Slowly pour in the chicken stock while stirring. Add the tomato paste, chopped carrots, salt, and pepper; raise the heat and bring to a simmer. Cook until the filling is thick and bubbling and the carrots have softened, about 15 minutes.
   

4. Cover the potatoes with water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes break apart when pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Add the butter, half-and-half or milk, and salt, and mash everything together with a potato masher.
   

5. Pour the meat mixture into a deep 9-inch baking dish. Spoon the mashed potatoes on top. You can make peaks and swirls with the back of a spoon or a crosshatch pattern with a fork. For a festive look, you can pipe out the mashed potatoes through a pastry bag fitted with a ¾-inch star tip. Bake the pie until it is bubbling around the edges and the potato crust turns a deeper yellow, about 45 minutes.
   

Serves 8

Technically, shepherd's pie is made from lamb, and cottage pie from beef, but often the term “shepherd's pie” is used for both. Whatever you call it, you can't fail to please with this ultimate comfort food.

On the evening that Dumbldore's Army (the D.A.) is to meet for the first time, Harry eats bangers and mash for dinner, referred to as sausages and mash in the American version of
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
(Chapter 18).

Bangers

½ pound ground veal

½ pound ground pork or beef

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground sage

1/8 teaspoon dried marjoram

1/8 teaspoon ground thyme

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 egg yolks

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Mashed Potatoes

6 potatoes, peeled and quartered

2 teaspoons salt

4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter

1 cup whole milk or half-and-half

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Onion Gravy

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups chicken broth

Salt to taste (this will need to be adjusted according to the saltiness of the broth)

1. For the bangers, combine all the ingredients except for the 2 tablespoons butter or margarine in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Heat the butter or margarine in a skillet. Form the meat into sausage shapes and fry on each side over medium-high heat, turning often, until the sausages are well browned. Transfer the sausages to a paper-towel-lined plate. Repeat until all the mixture is used up.
   

2. For the mashed potatoes, place the potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer about 25 minutes or until the potatoes break apart when pierced with a fork.
   

3. Drain the potatoes. Add the salt, butter, milk or half-and-half, and black pepper. Mash with a potato masher until the potatoes are light and fluffy.
   

4. For the onion gravy, heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onions and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden, about 30 minutes. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Add the chicken broth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbling. Taste the gravy and add salt, if necessary.
   

5. To serve, place 2 or 3 sausages on a plate. Mound 4. the mashed potatoes on the side, and spoon generous amounts of onion gravy over the whole lot.