The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook - Dinah Bucholz [45]
Add the flour to the pot and stir until combined. Pour in the broth and Coca-Cola and cook over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbling. Add the meat back to the pot along with the accumulated juices and the tomato paste, chopped prunes, sage, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and simmer for 1½ hours.
Add the potatoes, carrots, and parsley and continue to simmer for another hour, stirring occasionally and adding more chicken broth or water as necessary to keep the stew from drying out and burning.
Serves 6 to 8
Mashed Parsnips
Percy got what he deserved when he barged in on the Weasleys during Christmas dinner and ended up with mashed parsnips all over his face. With all of the rest of the delicious food that is usually on the Christmas table, the Weasleys probably didn't miss the parsnips (see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapters 16 and 17).
Run out of sugar while making plum pudding? No problem; just boil up some parsnips and add them to the batter. That's what was done in medieval times, when sugar was scarce. Parsnips have always been popular in Europe, but not very much so in America. This recipe just might make them a favorite here.
1½ pounds (about 10 medium-small) parsnips, peeled and chopped
1 14-ounce can chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup milk Pinch of nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
In a medium saucepan, bring the parsnips and chicken broth to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Drain the parsnips and add the butter, milk, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mash with a potato masher.
Serves 4 to 6
Canapés
Harry wryly observes that Voldemort won't get killed off while Harry's busy making canapés and vol-au-vents (although they might make good missiles in comedy shows). He's frustrated that Mrs. Weasley is keeping him so busy with preparations for Bill and Fleur's wedding that she leaves him no time for planning (see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 6).
Canapé is French for “couch.” What's the connection? It takes a bit of imagination, but here goes: Just like you sit on a couch, the toppings for this elegant appetizer sit on a piece of fried or toasted bread.
You can cut the canapés into different shapes to represent different fillings. For example, you can cut the Sour Cream — Anchovy Canapés into squares, the Olive-Cheese into circles, and the Smoked Salmon into triangles. You can also come up with your own toppings. The ideas are endless.
Canapés
1 loaf good-quality sandwich bread
Butter, for greasing the skillet
The Toppings
Sour Cream — Anchovy Topping: sour cream, anchovy fillets packed in olive oil, grape tomatoes
Olive-Cheese Topping: mayonnaise, mozzarella cheese sliced into ¼-inch-thick slices, pitted green olives
Smoked Salmon Topping: cream cheese, smoked salmon, chopped scallions Toothpicks for holding the fillings in place
To make the canapés, use a round 2-inch cookie cutter to cut circles out of the bread. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Take a cold stick of butter and rub the tip of it over the surface of the hot skillet. Add as many pieces of bread as fit into the skillet. Toast over medium heat on each side until golden brown, a few minutes per side. Repeat the buttering between batches. Make as many as desired.
For the Sour Cream — Anchovy Canapés, spread sour cream on the canapés. Dab the fillets with a paper towel, then cut in thirds and lay over the sour cream, 1 fillet per canapé. Push a toothpick through a grape tomato and press into place on top of the anchovy.
For the Olive-Cheese Topping, use the 2-inch cutter to cut out circles of cheese. Spread mayonnaise on the canapés. Lay the circles of cheese over the mayonnaise. Push a toothpick through an olive and press into place on top of the cheese.
For the Smoked Salmon Topping, spread cream cheese on the canapés. Lay a piece of smoked salmon on top, then sprinkle