The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook (15 page)
Makes about 10 pies
There are several delicious ways to use the leftover mincemeat filling. To make mincemeat cobbler, put the rest of the filling into a greased 8-inch square pan and arrange the scraps of dough on top. Brush with the rest of the beaten egg, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and bake along with the pies for a mincemeat cobbler. You also can fold a cup of the filling into a quart of softened vanilla ice cream and refreeze until firm (see Chapter 8 for Mincemeat Ice Cream). Adults can stir in ¼ cup brandy with the butter in step 2 to make a more authentic mince-meat.
The filling will then keep well in the refrigerator for several months.
Harry's first dinner at the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix is a spectacular meal followed by a spectacular dessert cooked by Harry's favorite cook. The camaraderie that good food inspires disappears in a flash right after the rhubarb crumble and custard when Sirius invites Harry to ask whatever he wants about the Order of the Phoenix (see
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
, Chapter 5).
In the 1500s, you might have been offered stewed rhubarb when it was time to take your medicine. But that didn't work — it didn't get rid of bubonic plague. Three centuries later, rhubarb finally found its way into pies. It did take kind of a long time, but it's a good thing they figured it out. If you try this recipe, you will understand why Harry had three helpings.
Rhubarb Filling
1 pound frozen rhubarb
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon baking soda
Crumble Topping
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
½ cup pecans, chopped
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ stick (4 tablespoons) cold butter, cut into chunks
Custard Sauce
¼ cup granulated sugar Pinch salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup whole milk and ½ cup heavy cream or 1½ cups milk
3 large egg yolks
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Toss the rhubarb, sugar, lemon zest, and baking soda in a 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
While the rhubarb is baking, make the Crumble Topping. Combine the flour, brown sugar, pecans, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles wet sand.
Remove the rhubarb from the oven, toss the rhubarb mixture one more time, and pour the topping into the center, spreading it to the edges with your fingers. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 50 minutes, or until the rhubarb bubbles over the edges.
For the custard, combine the sugar, salt, and cornstarch in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir in the milk and cream and continue stirring until the cornstarch dissolves. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is hot but not bubbling. Reduce the heat to low and temper the egg yolks by slowly pouring ½ cup of the hot mixture into the yolks while whisking the yolks constantly. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the saucepan while stirring gently. Turn up the heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick and bubbling. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the custard through a sieve. Add the vanilla and stir to combine. Serve the rhubarb custard warm with the hot custard.
Serves 8
The addition of baking soda helps to neutralize some of the acid in the rhubarb, making it slightly more mellow and palatable. If you prefer an extremely tart dessert, omit the baking soda.
Before the start of the school term, Dumbledore brings Harry to the Burrow in the middle of the night, where Mrs. Weasley serves the hungry boy a bowl of hot onion soup (see
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
, Chapter 5). This thick and creamy soup, warm and comforting, is the perfect dish to serve the weary traveler who bursts in on you at one in the morning. Serve with thick wedges of Irish Soda Bread (Chapter 5).
The Romans brought onions to Britain — although the Romans didn't mention them much in their own cookbooks. The one Roman cookbook we have today, called
Apicius
, barely mentions onions because the Romans didn't like that they make your breath smelly. But today we have breath mints, so bring on the onions!
¼ stick (2 tablespoons) butter
2 large onions, cut lengthwise and then sliced 1/8-inch thick
4 cups chicken broth or 4 cups water and 4 teaspoons chicken-flavored soup and seasoning mix
Freshly ground black pepper Salt
2 cups whole milk, divided
1/3 cup flour
Heat the butter in a 4-quart pot. Add the onions to the pot, and cook over low heat until the onions are golden, about 30 minutes.
Add the chicken broth or the water and soup mix, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer until the onions are very soft, about 30 minutes.
Combine 1/3 cup of the milk with the flour in a bowl and mix well, beating out the lumps with a whisk. Add this mixture slowly to the soup while stirring constantly. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens. Add the rest of the milk and just heat through; do not boil.
Serves 6
At the Ministry of Magic on the morning of Harry's hearing, Mr. Weasley bumps into Kingsley Shacklebolt. They pretend not to know each other, but Mr. Weasley manages to whisper to him that Mrs. Weasley is serving meatballs for dinner should he wish to stop by (see
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
, Chapter 7).
There's not much to say about meatballs. It doesn't take an awful lot of imagination to mince meat, mix it with other stuff, shape it, and cook it. In olden times, forcemeat, which is an old-fashioned word for the mixture of ground meat mixed with bread crumbs and seasonings, was used as a stuffing or by itself. You might still find recipes in British cookbooks that call it forcemeat balls. This recipe makes an interesting change from Italian meatballs and spaghetti.
Meatballs
1 pound extra-lean ground beef
½ cup fresh or dry bread crumbs
1 large egg
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons oil
Onion Sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 14-ounce can chicken broth
For the meatballs, combine the beef, bread crumbs, egg, onion, parsley, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.
Heat the oil in a skillet. Form the meat mixture into 1½-inch balls, and working in batches, fry the balls on each side until well browned, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the meatballs to a dinner plate.
For the Onion Sauce, add 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet and heat. Add the chopped onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Add the flour, and stir to combine. Pour in the chicken broth and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbling. Return the meatballs to the skillet and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, or wide egg noodles.
Serves 6
While they prepare piles of sprouts to be used in a dish by Mrs. Weasley, Harry and Ron have a breathless discussion about Professor Snape and his sinister offer to help Draco Malfoy. To Ron's grumpy annoyance, he and Harry have to painstakingly prepare each sprout without using magic (see
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
, Chapter 16).
The Romans — no surprise there — brought the chestnut tree to Britain. Over the years and in many countries, chestnuts were ground up and mixed with flour, but these days we eat them roasted. They're also popular with Brussels sprouts at Christmas time.
1 pound frozen Brussels sprouts
1 cup water
½ teaspoon salt
¼ stick (2 tablespoons) butter
1 cup chopped canned chestnuts
2 tablespoons dark or light brown sugar
Pinch of nutmeg
Bring the sprouts, water, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce to a simmer and cook about 7 minutes, until sprouts are tender. Drain the sprouts and cut into quarters.
Heat the butter in a skillet until foaming. Add the sprouts, chestnuts, brown sugar, and nutmeg. Cook, stirring constantly, just until heated through. Serve immediately.
Serves 4 to 6
Do you sometimes wish you had a cook like Mrs. Weasley in your home? Imagine finishing off a weeknight supper with homemade strawberry ice cream. Harry enjoyed this sumptuous dessert, the finish to a sumptuous meal, the night before going to see the fateful international Quidditch match (see
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
, Chapter 5).