Greetings, my dear, faithful readers. It is my unfortunate task to inform you that I am currently somewhat indisposed, having had a minor accident of sorts. I am lucky that my Quick Quotes Quill is new and is, as of now, still working correctly. So at least I am able to let you all enjoy this month's recipe. I was more than happy when I saw the theme for this month's SOUP, as I had believed it would give me the perfect opportunity to tell you all about the trip I planned to take. I had been invited by my good friend Christopher to visit his family's horse farm as they breed Granians and Abraxans there. Which was a dream of mine. I would love to be able to ride one at least once.
However, that was not to be, thanks to the very spiky predicament my overly-soft heart got me into after visiting Momma Fox for our usual monthly cooking lesson. Why I agree to some things, I will never know, but it always happens. My emotions get the better of me, and I just end up... injured... again. But let me explain before you all die of boredom.
You see, it all began as Momma Fox and I were traipsing around her greenhouses last week. We were in search of nutmeg and grapes for the most amazing-sounding dessert that she thought would be perfect for our Christmas issue. I wasn't sure how she was going to relate it to our theme, but I was prepared to wait and trust that the tawny-headed miracle knew what she was doing. Unfortunately, just as I was about to dig my ungloved hands into what looked like a grapevine covered in dead leaves, I heard the most almighty hissing and spluttering. Falling on my rear in shock, I quickly called to Momma Fox, and began very tentatively sweeping away the debris to find a nest of tiny baby Knarls, all curled up in tight little balls!
The poor creatures looked like they had been born in that spot, and the mother had left them there for a couple of weeks at least because it was the warmest, safest place around. The sweet, confused little things blinked at me with the cutest looks of confusion, and I could not help but want to save them. This is the point though, where I must confess that I know literally nothing about Knarls beyond that they are normally grumpy and easily offended. So after hurrying back to Momma Fox's cottage for the softest blanket she had, I carefully picked them up and bundled them up safely to carry them back to the warmth of Momma Fox's kitchen. All the while, the little witch chuckled at me and called me a softie.
Needless to say, we knew we had to feed the hungry creatures as they looked like they hadn't eaten in days. While I took care of them, Momma Fox skipped over the lesson for the day and got to work on something that would appeal to even the fussiest of pets. I believe this Christmas Meatball recipe would even be enough to satisfy Crookshanks himself.
250g turkey mince (Ground turkey)
2-3 medium potatoes (around 350g)
1 good-sized carrot (around 200g)
6-8 sprouts (about 250g)
1/2 teaspoon of Marmite (or similar yeast extract)
1 teaspoon cranberry sauce
Gravy to serve
Directions:
1. First, boil the potatoes and sprouts for 10-15 minutes in a large pewter cauldron over a high heat until well cooked. Then drain and mash them using a Muggle masher until they have a rough and slightly sticky consistency.
2. Meanwhile, heat up a frying pan using your Muggle stove and gently brown the mince. You don't need to add oil as there will be enough fat and liquid in the meat. Once the mince is cooked through, mix it into the mash, add in the cranberry sauce, and finally, just to add a bit of extra meatiness to the flavour, stir in the Marmite or yeast extract. You can use a light application of the Whisking Charm by waving your wand in slow clockwise circles over the bowl for this.
3. While the mixture is cooling down, grease a baking tray and preheat your muggle oven to around 180C.
4. Next, form the sticky mix into walnut-sized balls and smooth them off by rolling them in your hands before placing them on the baking tray.
5. Place the tray into the centre of the oven for approximately thirty minutes - until the balls are nicely crisp and brown - and then take them out and let them stand for at least twenty minutes to cool down.
6. Finally, arrange them in your pet's bowl, pour over a little warm gravy and serve.
Now, I'm sure you are all wondering where the injury part of this tale comes in? Well, let's just say that I fell in love with the precious babies we found, and I have yet to find new homes for them all. They are currently residing in the lap of luxury in a large box by my bedroom fireplace. It has not been easy, and I have learned in the last few days that having quills shot directly at your hands, feet, and buttocks is not comfortable. The knarls do not appreciate my attempts to feed them what I can, so I will just have to persevere until I find someone to take at least most of them off my now very sore hands.
So until next time, dear readers, wish me luck! - Nikita
