-Main Recipes-

Beef Stew Pot Pies

These heart potpies are just the ticket
to feeling warm and comfortable (and often somewhat lively) and are one of the
most popular and famous dishes served at The Leaky Cauldron. Paired with an Irish brew or whiskey (or both) and
a side of roasted vegetables these pies make for a perfect meal for a casual
dinner party.

Admittedly, they're a bit of work, but
they're hardly challenging to prepare, just slightly time-consuming as braised
dishes are by nature. Just plan ahead so that you and yours can dig into a meal
to remember.

NOTES

For a family-style pot pie,
pour the stew into a deep 8-by-8-inch square pan, cover with pie dough, and
bake slightly longer, about 45 minutes. Alternatively, this stew can be served
without a pastry lid alongside a starchy dish like a potato gratin; just make
certain to braise the stew for an extra 30 minutes (since it would cook longer
while the pie crust browns).

INGREDIENTS

3 pounds
brisket or stew meat, chopped into bite-size pieces

Kosher
salt

Black
pepper, freshly ground

4
tablespoons unsalted butter

2 large
red onions, chopped

4 cloves
garlic, minced

2
carrots, peeled and chopped

2 ribs
celery, chopped

10
mushrooms, stems removed and sliced

2
tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 sprig
rosemary

About 4
cups (2 cans) Guinness or other stout

8 ounces
sharp cheddar, grated

Sherry
vinegar, to taste

1 recipe
(2 discs) pie dough

1 large
egg

DIRECTIONS

1  Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2  Season the beef generously with salt and
pepper; set aside.

3  Melt the butter in a dutch oven set over
medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring
occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

4  Add the carrots, celery, mushrooms,
flour, and another pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened
and the mushrooms have begun to brown and have shrunk considerably, about 10 to
15 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a mixing bowl.

5  Brown the beef in 2 batches,
transferring the first batch of browned beef to the bowl of vegetables to make
space for the second round.

6  Pour about half of the beer into the
dutch oven and scrape up any browned bits with a flat-sided wooden spatula.

7  Transfer the vegetables and beef back
into the dutch oven, and add the rosemary and enough beer to just cover the
beef and vegetables. Put in the oven and cook, covered, for 1 1/2 hours.

8  Remove from the oven and stir. Return to
the oven and cook for another hour.

9  If the stew remains thin, set the pan
over medium-low heat, and cook uncovered until the liquid has reduced to a
sauce-like consistency. Fold in half of the cheddar, and season to taste with
salt and sherry vinegar.

10 
Ladle the
stew into 8 8-ounce ramekins, dividing evenly. Sprinkle each stew with the
remaining cheddar.

11 
Roll out
pie dough rounds until 1/8-inch thick, divide each round into quarters, and top
each ramekin with a piece of pie dough. Trim excess dough leaving an inch
border around the rim, tuck the excess underneath itself, crimp with a fork,
and make a few slits in the center with a sharp knife to allow steam to escape
when cooking.

12 
Whisk the
egg and a tablespoon of water together in a small mixing bowl. Brush the tops
of the pie dough with the egg wash. Set the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet,
and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the dough has crisped up and browned.

13 
Serve
hot, or reheat in a 350°F oven until warm.

Hagrid’s
Rock Cakes

A
type of fruit cake with a crunchy exterior served with tea, fruit cake takes on
a literal meaning when Hagrid makes them. His batches are usually so overcooked
that they nearly break teeth when chewed. Though this confection has earned a
terrible reputation, when made correctly (and served with blue cheese as is
traditional in England), rock cake may earn a place in your heart.

ngredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

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

1 large egg

1/3 cup whole milk

1 cup raisins

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and
grease and flour a large cookie sheet. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder,
cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl. With your fingertips, rub the butter
into the dry ingredients until the mixture reaches the consistency of wet sand.
(Side note: I realize that butter on the fingers doesn’t sound like a lot of
fun, but it was interesting. Don’t be afraid of butter!)

2. Beat the egg together with
the milk and pour it into the flour-butter mixture. Fold it together using a spatula
to form a stiff dough. Fold in the raisins. Drop dough by rounded
tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet.

3. Bake for 25 minutes or until
the bottoms are golden, rotating the pan midway through baking.

Makes 12 Rock Cakes

I had to try one before I could
let anyone else enjoy them - and of course they were delicious.  Side note: Unless you let them
bake too long and sit out for days like Hagrid, they may in fact be crumble
cakes.