We approached this recipe as an answer to a recent interest in wizardry and potions. However, these Steak and Kidney Tartlets had a really nice filling and a different flavor profile than my previous Steak and Kidney Pie post. Less herbs and veg, more meaty, and more umami with the Worcestershire and tomato paste. Alas, I cheated on the pastry crust; I’m not accustomed to taking these kinds of shortcuts, but the kids loved the novelty along with our wizardry theme.
Harry Potter also eats Steak and Kidney Pie
In truth, I’ve wanted to recreate Steak and Kidney Pie for years. Since the first time my son read Harry Potter, and every time since, he dutifully reports the consumption of organ meats at Hogwarts. Since most references to offal in children’s books are negative (case in point), I have to celebrate J.K. Rowling!
In The Prisoner of Azkaban (book 3, pg. 229), tripe is served.
In The Goblet of Fire (book 4, pg. 251), “The house elves in the kitchen seemed to have pulled out all the stops; there were a greater variety of dishes in front of them than Harry had ever seen, including several that were definitely foreign… [including] some sort of shellfish stew that stood beside a large steak-and-kidney pudding.”
In The Order of the Phoenix (book 5, pg. 210) Harry reports, “eat[ing] his way steadily through his steak-and-kidney pie, then a large plateful of his favorite treacle tart.”
And apparently it has a mention in the film, too.
I’m really not sure what these references mean. On one hand, they could represent ‘normalcy’ at Hogwarts, from a British point of view. Or, they could be ‘strange’ to reinforce the distinctive nature of attending a wizardry school. As a mom, there are so many things I don’t understand.
Steak and Kidney Tartlets
In the meantime, this recent recipe was inspired by The Wizard’s Cookbook, a curious book my son found at the library. Each recipe is inspired by a reference in the wizardry and fantasy genre, and my middle son found many he wanted to make. I indulged him with a shopping list and special trip to the store.
Among these recipes was the ‘Little Steak and Kidney Pie’ recipe inspired by Harry Potter. I adapted the single serving idea to create Steak and Kidney Tartlets, skipped the beer and increased the broth. And while I tempered the recipe in print, my ratio of kidney to steak was closer to 1:1 (though we eat a fair amount of kidney and my people are used to it (or not – I got one protestor).
The same cookbook had several potion recipes that tantalized my kids. I nixed them all – some alcoholic and others too high in juice. We found a Multi-Green Kombucha at the grocery store and served it as a special ‘potion’ alongside our Steak and Kidney Tartlets. A bit silly, but a fun way to serve kidney!
Steak and Kidney Tartlets
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb beef kidney, trimmed and chopped
- 1 lb steak, chopped
- 1 oz flour
- 2 oz butter
- 1/2 t salt
- 1/4 t pepper
- 5 oz mushrooms, shitake and maitake blend
- juice from 1/2 lemon
- 2 T Worcestershire sauce
- 1 T tomato paste
- 1.5 t thyme leaves
- 1 bay leaf
- 12 oz beef broth
- 1 14 oz package (Dufour Classic) puff pastry
- chopped parsley, thyme or basil to garnish
- 1 bottle multi-green kombucha (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- Prep kidney by removing any skin, sinew and fat. Chop into 1/2" cubes. Chop steak into similar sized pieces. Add kidney, steak and flour to a large bag and shake well until all pieces are coated with flour.
- Meanwhile, heat butter in large skillet or heavy pan on medium high. When foaming subsides, but before butter browns, add floured meat to pan. Spread evenly across bottom of pan and do not touch for 5-8 minutes to allow bottom layer to brown nicely. Mix all meat and let new layer of meat brown well.
- Meanwhile, chop mushrooms into bite size pieces and squeeze lemon over them to avoid discoloration. Mix well and set aside.
- When meat is browned, add salt and pepper and mix well. Then, add mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, thyme, bay leaf and beef broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer (uncovered) for 1 hour. Stir occasionally and if broth is not cooking down after 45 minutes, increase heat so that meat is not soupy, but thick and saucy after one hour.
- Preheat your oven to 400F degrees. Meanwhile, open pastry dough and cut into 8 evenly sized pieces. Roll out dough to double its size, trying to form a circle as best you can. Poke a few holes with a fork. Add a heaping spoonful of steak and kidney filling to the center of each dough piece. Lastly, collect the edges and fold them over the top (not trying to cover completely). Bake for 25 minutes until crust is puffed and golden brown. Garnish with green herbs and serve with magic potion (green kombucha).
Brit here: steak and kidney pie and treacle tart are both common and magical. 🙃🙂 Beloved comfort foods, but especially in the case of treacle tarts, more special than everyday.
@M Evans, Thank you! Love this! There was also a recipe for Treacle Tart in The Wizard’s Cookbook. I don’t do desserts often, but love the idea of them together. Cheers!