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Remove the sausages from the pot and cool. To use, slice thickly and fry on both sides.

Serves 6

The following recipe is based on Black Pudding from The Foody.com. This recipe has not been tested, so proceed at your own risk! Assuming you can get hold of the blood, of course.

Chicken and Ham Pie

Professor Umbridge is so evil, she must be defied. Right under her nose, Harry secretly trains a group of friends in Defense Against the Dark Arts, but he rebels openly by giving an interview that will be read by the whole school. Seamus Finnigan gobbles up a delicious chicken and ham pie while listening to Harry talk about his interview with Rita Skeeter, and he will finally be convinced Harry's not a “nutter” when he reads the interview in The Quibbler (see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 26).

There are so many wonderful things you can do with chicken, not least of which is to bake it into a pie. This recipe is easy to prepare and tastes delicious.

Chicken and Ham Pie, Version I, Easy

1 3-pound store-bought rotisserie chicken

2 pounds ham, in one piece or steaks

3 cups prepared or store-bought chicken gravy

1 large onion, chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 cup frozen peas

1 box refrigerated pie crust, 2 circles in a box

Remove the meat from the chicken and discard the skin and bones. Cut the ham into ½-inch strips.

Place the chicken gravy in a saucepan and add the chopped onion and thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the peas in a bowl. Using a slotted spoon, remove the cooked onions from the chicken gravy and add them to the peas.

Place one of the dough circles into an 8- or 9-inch deep-dish pie plate and press it into the bottom and the sides. Place the chicken in the pie pan and top with the peas and cooked onions. Add the ham. Place the other dough circle on top and crimp the edges to seal. Cut two or three 1-inch slits in the top crust to form vents. Place the pie on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until brown and bubbly.

Serves 6

Chicken and Ham Pie, Version II

1 3-pound chicken, cut into quarters or eighths

2 pounds ham, in one piece or steaks

1 large onion, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon dried thyme

3 tablespoons cornstarch

½ cup cold water

1 cup frozen peas

1 box refrigerated pie crust, 2 circles in a box

Place the chicken in a heavy pot with the ham, onion, bay leaves, and thyme. Cover with water, bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 1½ hours.

Remove the chicken and ham from the pot. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Strain the liquid and reserve. Transfer the cooked onions to a small bowl.

When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and cut into bite-size pieces. Slice the ham into ½-inch-thick strips.

You will need 3 cups of the chicken broth. If you have too much liquid, return it to the pot and boil to reduce the volume to 3 cups. Bring the 3 cups of chicken broth to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water and whisk into the hot chicken broth until thickened.

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 375°F. Place one of the dough circles into an 8- or 9-inch deep-dish pie plate and press into the bottom and sides. Place the chicken in the pie plate and top with the peas and cooked onions. Add the ham. Place the other dough circle on top and crimp the edges to seal. Cut two or three 1-inch slits in the top crust to form vents. Place the pie on the baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until brown and bubbly.

Serves 6

Chapter Eight

Desserts and Snacks at School

The British are a nation of sugar fiends. (So are the Americans, but that's another story.) So much so that in early times, without dental care like we have today, their teeth rotted