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Bake for 50 minutes. Rotate the pan, raise the temperature to 450°F, and bake for another 30 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh reads 170°F.

While the chicken is roasting, prepare the mashed potatoes. Cover the potatoes with water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer until tender, about 25 minutes.

Heat the 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet and add the 4. onions. Cook the onions over medium heat, stirring frequently, until nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Remove from the heat.

Drain the potatoes. Add the onion-garlic mixture, ½ cup oil, chicken broth, and salt and pepper. Mash with a potato masher.

Serves 4

Four Delicious Pies

While Harry's friends, determined not to let him starve to death at the Durs-leys', send him snacks and cakes, Mrs. Weasley sends heartier food. She sends him a variety of meat pies along with a fruitcake so he has better meals to eat than a quarter of a grapefruit (see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 3). The following four individual pie recipes are classic British recipes.

Small meat pies in England are popular snacks, so it's no surprise Mrs. Weasley sent a bunch to Harry.

Individual Beef Pies

Pie Crust

2½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

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

½ cup (8 tablespoons) vegetable shortening, chilled and cut into pieces

½ to ¾ cup cold water

Filling

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

8 ounces chuck steak, trimmed and cut into ¼-inch dice

1 medium onion, finely chopped

4–5 ounces mushrooms, chopped

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 cup chicken broth

1/8 teaspoon ground thyme

1 tablespoon tomato paste

Salt and pepper

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Scatter the pieces of butter and shortening over the flour mixture. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse yellow meal without any white powdery bits remaining, about 15 pulses. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle ½ cup water over the mixture and toss with a rubber spatula until the dough sticks together. Add more water 1 tablespoon at a time if the dough is dry (better too wet than too dry). Divide the dough in half, form into two disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.

To make the filling, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a skillet and add the beef in two batches, searing over high heat on each side until crusty brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer each batch to a plate and set aside. Add the remaining oil to the skillet and heat it over medium heat. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook, stirring and scraping up the fond (browned bits), until the onions are well browned. Add the flour and mix until combined. Add the chicken broth and again mix until combined. Return the beef to the skillet; add the thyme, tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 2 hours. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and cool to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. On a generously floured surface, roll out one of the disks very thin. Use a 4½-inch cookie cutter to cut out circles. Fit the circles into a 6-cup muffin pan. Fill generously with the beef filling.

Roll out the second disk of dough. Use a 3½-inch cookie cutter to cut out six circles. You may have enough dough to cut out one more 4½-inch circle and one more 3½-inch circle to get one more pie. (If that's the case, use a 12-cup muffin pan and fill the empty cups halfway with water.) Brush the rims with water, lay the circles over the filling, and press with your fingers to seal. Brush the tops of the pies with the beaten egg and cut slits in the top of each pie to form vents. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F and bake an additional 20 minutes, until the pies are golden brown.