The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook (12 page)

Makes 8 dozen 1½-inch or 4 dozen 3-inch cookies

For doughy cookies like Hagrid's, bake the cookies for half the time. But be aware that undercooked cookie dough may give you a food-borne illness or at the very least a stomachache!

Giving Kreacher Regulus's locket was a good move: Harry has never tasted better French onion soup (see
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
, Chapter 12).

To make French Onion Soup with Gruyère, preheat the oven to 325°F. Ladle the soup in heatproof cups. Sprinkle in 1 tablespoon of slivered Gruyère and ½ teaspoon grated raw onion per cup. Float a piece of buttered toast on top and sprinkle with a scant ¼ cup of grated Gruyère. Bake for 20 minutes or brown under the broiler.

4 medium onions

½ stick (4 tablespoons) butter, melted

1 baguette

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

6 cups beef or chicken stock (beef preferred)

Additional grated Parmesan, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Peel the onions, cut them in half from pole to pole, and slice as thinly as possible. In a heavy soup pot, heat the butter. Remove the pot from the heat.
   

2. Remove one end of the baguette and slice six 1-inch-thick slices for the croutons. Cover the cut end of the bread and save for the end. Dip a pastry brush into the hot butter that is in the pot and brush one side of each slice with the butter. Place the slices butter-side up on a baking sheet and sprinkle with the cheese. Toast the bread in the oven for about 10 minutes or until browned.
   

3. While the bread toasts, return the pot to the heat and add the onions. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the sugar and continue to stir over medium-high heat until the onions have browned, about 15 minutes.
   

4. Blend in the flour. Gradually add the stock while stirring and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 30 minutes.
   

5. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and float a cheesy crouton in the center, then sprinkle cheese around the crouton.
   

Serves 6

Just when Harry is about to be sick from yet another excursion into Voldemort's mind, Kreacher tries to offer him some stew. Not a good thing to offer someone who's about to throw up, don't you agree? (See
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
, Chapter 12.)

Herb Dumplings

1 cup flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon ground sage

¼ teaspoon ground thyme

¼ teaspoon dried marjoram

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

½ stick (4 tablespoons) butter or margarine, chilled and cut into small pieces

2 tablespoons milk

1 egg

Beef Stew

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1½ pounds chuck steak, trimmed and cut into ½-inch cubes

1 onion, chopped

1 tablespoon flour

1 14-ounce can chicken broth

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch pieces

4 red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed, and cut into 1-inch cubes

1. To make the dumplings, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, black pepper, and herbs. Add the pieces of butter and rub with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse meal and no powdery bits remain.
   

2. Whisk the milk and egg together and add to the flour mixture. Toss with a rubber spatula until the mixture begins to clump together. Press plastic wrap down on top of the dough and refrigerate until needed.
   

3. To make the stew, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a Dutch oven or wide pot and add the meat in batches, searing on both sides over high heat 4 to 5 minutes until crusty brown, and transferring each batch to a dinner plate. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet. Add the chopped onion and cook over medium-low heat until softened, scraping up the fond (browned bits) from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
   

4. Add the flour to the pot and stir until combined. Pour in the chicken broth and stir until well combined. Add the salt and pepper and the meat along with its accumulated juices to the pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened and bubbling. Reduce to a simmer and simmer the meat for 1½ hours.
   

5. Add the carrots, celery, and potatoes to the pot and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Remove the dumpling dough from the refrigerator. Wet your hands and form the dumplings into 1-inch balls, dropping them onto the hot stew in the pot as you form them. Wet your hands as needed to prevent sticking. Cover the pot and simmer another 30 minutes until the dumplings have puffed up and feel set when pressed lightly with the fingertips, though they will be very soft.
   

Serves 6

Coffee and hot rolls for breakfast, yum… unfortunately, it's going to be the last meal Kreacher serves our favorite trio. After they escape the Ministry of Magic, they end up wandering from forest to forest, hungry and wishing for one of Kreacher's wonderful meals (see
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
, Chapter 7).

¼ cup warm water

1 tablespoon (1 packet) active dry yeast

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

½ stick (4 tablespoons) butter

½ cup whole milk

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

2½ cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1. Combine the water, yeast, and 1 tablespoon sugar in a mixing bowl and set aside until puffy. Place the butter and milk in a small saucepan and heat until the butter melts. Pour into a mixing bowl and whisk in the egg and egg yolk. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the yeast mixture and milk mixture to the flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon to combine. Knead in the bowl or on a lightly dusted work surface until smooth and elastic, 10 to 15 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl, turning the dough to coat it on all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it in a warm, draft-free place to rise until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
   

2. Grease and flour a baking sheet. Turn the dough out onto a work surface. Cut the dough in half, then each half into half again to form quarters, and each quarter into halves again to form 8 pieces of dough. Roll each piece into a 4-inch rope and tie into a knot, tucking one end under. If you prefer, simply roll them into ball. Place the rolls on a baking sheet and set aside to rise until doubled in volume, 2 to 3 hours.
   

3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the rolls for 15 minutes, rotating once halfway through the baking time, until light golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve while quite warm. The rolls become dense after a few hours and are best eaten fresh out of the oven, broken open and slathered with butter and jam.
   

Makes 8 rolls

Here's a nice, cozy scene: sitting around the table in Hagrid's hut, rain tapping against the windows, a fire crackling merrily in the hearth, while Harry, Ron, and Hermione rehash everything they know about the Triwizard Tournament. We have the ambiance, we have the sparkling conversation; the only thing missing is the good food. Our heroes and heroine have declined the beef casserole after finding a talon in one of their portions (see
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
, Chapter 16).

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1½ pounds chuck steak, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 onion, finely chopped

1 celery rib, finely chopped

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon tomato paste

10 ounces mushrooms, sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large oven-safe skillet over the stovetop. Add half the meat in a single layer and cook over high heat until crusty brown, about 5 minutes. Turn the meat over and brown the other side. Transfer the meat to a large plate. Wipe out the skillet and add the other tablespoon of oil. Repeat with the remaining meat.
   

2. Wipe out the skillet and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Heat the oil and add the onion and celery. Cook over medium heat until the onion turns light brown, scraping up the fond (browned bits) from the bottom of the pan, 10 to 15 minutes.
   

3. Sprinkle the flour over the onion and celery and stir until it is dissolved. Add the broth while stirring. Add the tomato paste, mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly and bring the casserole to a boil. Turn off the heat.
   

4. Cover the skillet and transfer it to the oven. Bake the casserole for 2 hours. Stir the casserole every 30 minutes to make sure the bottom doesn't burn, and add water as necessary. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta.