In the Kitchen

Eat Like Harry Potter:

Beef Stew with Herb Dumplings

"Just when Harry is about to be sick from another excursion into Voldemort's mind, Kreacher tries to offer him some stew. Though it doesn't seem the best thing to offer someone when they're about to throw up. (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow, Chapter 12)"

(The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook, Page 64)

Recipe (serves 6)

What You Need

Herb Dumplings

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground sage

1/4 teaspoon ground thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano (marjoram)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/2 (4 tablespoons) butter or margarine, chilled and cut into small pieces

2 tablespoons milk

1 egg

Beef Stew

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/2 pounds chunk steak, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 onion, chopped

1 tablespoon flour

14 oz. of chicken broth

Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper to taste

2 carrots, cut into one-inch pieces

2 celery ribs, cut into one-inch pieces

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

Directions:

Make dumplings

1) Combine the dry ingredients.

2) Add butter or margarine and mix until small clumps form and there are no powdery remnants.

3) In a separate bowl, beat together the milk and egg.

4) Add egg mixture to dry mixture and combine until it holds together.

5) Wrap in plastic and refrigerate.

Make stew

6) Heat 1 T oil in Dutch oven or wide pot. Add the meat in batches, searing on both sides for 4-5 minutes, until slightly crusty. Do this in batches and remove the meat from the Dutch oven or wide pot when it is cooked.

7) Add remaining oil to the skillet. Add the chopped onion and cook over medium-low heat until lightly caramelized.

8) Add flour and stir until combined. Then add chicken broth and stir until combined.

9) Add salt, pepper, and meat and cook over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbling. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally.

10) Add the carrots, celery and potatoes. Let simmer for 1 hour. Stir occasionally.

11) Create the dumplings by rolling dough into 1-inch balls. Wet your hands to prevent sticking. Add to stew. Cover and allow to simmer 30 more minutes.


NOTE:

If you are busy and do not have time to do all of these steps, you can always use a crock pot. Create the dumpling dough and put it in the refrigerator. Add all of the stew ingredients, except the broth to a crock pot. Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours. Add the broth. If you are in a hurry, you can cut the dough into 1-inch cubes - I promise the quality of the dumpling does not depend on the shape. Add the dumplings to the stew, keep them toward the top for the first 20 minutes or so, then stir so that they are incorporated. It is important that they are not stirred in right away because the dumplings might disintegrate into the broth if they are not cooked a little before incorporated. The stew might not be as thick when cooked in a crock pot, but the flavor is still good.

hoto provided by Ms. Nold. Note: The pictured stew was made without celery and is garnished with green onion.

Kayla's Mom's Famous Cheddar Cheese Balls

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese

  • 3 oz. cream cheese

  • 2 T butter or margarine

  • 2 T milk

  • 1 T onion powder

  • 1 t Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 dash hot pepper sauce

  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds (optional)

  • Pimento strips (optional)

Directions

  1. Allow cheddar cheese, cream cheese, and margarine to reach room temperature.

  2. Add milk, onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce.

  3. Mix until combined.

  4. Roll the mixture into one ball.

  5. Roll ball in nuts until covered.

  6. Cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours.

Photos provided by Ms. Nold. Pictured here rolled in walnuts and served with crackers.

Cooking Notes:

When reading a recipe, a capital T stands for tablespoon, and the lowercase t stands for teaspoon. If you struggle to remember the difference, think of it like this: a capital T is bigger than a lowercase t, so the capital T is the larger measurement than the lowercase t.

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