The biggest headache with Dragon Blood was that temperature barely affected it. All the usual ways of making blood clot were useless here.
Ordinary blood would clot with a stir and a handful of salt. But this was Dragon Blood. A pinch of salt to draw out its moisture? What would become of a Fire-Dragon's dignity?
That ruled out a whole lot of blood-based dishes. Dragon Blood simply wouldn't cooperate.
French black pudding needed spices, onions, and pork fat. Northeastern Chinese blood sausage mixed in pork, lamb, and a heap of seasonings. Spicy blood curd stew needed its blood properly set. All of those were out.
There was no chance Dragon Blood would hold its shape on its own.
To cook with it, he needed something else to hold the blood together.
Glutinous rice or flour could do the job.
But glutinous rice was a real rarity in Britain. There wasn't any in Ron's Kitchen, so Cedric turned to flour.
The Kitchen had no wok, and the stove wasn't suited to toasting spices. Cedric ground the spices to a powder instead, mixed them with flour, and baked the mixture until golden and fragrant. He seasoned it with salt, poured in about a third of a pint of Dragon Blood, and stirred up a bowl of sticky blood batter.
Ron had no sausage casings on hand, either. But they were common in French and German cooking, and plenty of places in London sold them. Cedric sent Ron out to buy some, then set to work stuffing the blood sausages.
He could have mixed in pork or lamb for a heartier texture, but Cedric felt such mundane ingredients were unworthy of Dragon Blood. God's Hand resisted the idea too, so he left them out.
Once the sausages were stuffed, he put them in cold water over medium heat. When the water boiled, he turned the heat low and let them simmer.
It was easy work. The magical Kitchen was even handier than a smart kitchen.
Before long, the casings had swollen round and plump. Cedric turned off the heat, let the residual warmth finish cooking the sausages, then fished them out.
He snatched up a small knife and sliced a sausage cleanly in two. Studying the cut face, he saw that the Dragon Blood had mixed with the proteins in the flour and been forced to set. All its proud defiance had gone into the dish.
Satisfied, Cedric swiftly cut a sausage into thick slices and arranged them on a plate. Then he put them in a frying pan, browned both sides of every slice in Butter until crisp, and lifted them out.
And with that, his new dish with Dragon Blood as its main ingredient was ready.
An indescribable aroma filled the Kitchen. Even Xuanling forgot to squawk and closed his eyes in bliss.
"Mr. Grey, didn't you say there wouldn't be a special today?" Ron had been itching with curiosity ever since Cedric returned and went straight into the Kitchen. Now he pushed open the door.
The moment it opened, the mouthwatering aroma rushed out and filled the entire pub.
The wizards who had been slumped in disappointment because Cedric wasn't serving food all sniffed the air and rose as one.
"What's that smell? It's incredible!"
"Mr. Grey's cooking again? I knew he wouldn't abandon us!"
"I've never smelled anything like it. Is it a new dish?"
The wizards surged toward the Kitchen door like a horde of zombies. Fortunately, Ron held them back with his thick arms.
"Stop pushing! You can't get in Mr. Grey's way. Keep it up and I'll throw you out!" Ron shouted. He shoved them back outside, told them to wait there, and slammed the door shut.
But even through the closed door, the tantalizing scent seemed stronger. The wizards forgot all dignity and pressed their faces to the cracks, as if one more sniff were some great prize.
Inside the Kitchen, Ron hurried to Cedric's side. The pitch-black blood sausage on the plate didn't faze him one bit. "Mr. Grey, can I have a taste?"
"One slice. Don't eat the lot." Cedric shot him a sidelong glance.
"Don't worry. I know the rules." Ron rubbed his hands together and picked up a slice.
Its skin had crisped in the Butter. It didn't look like much, but the scent of spices had Ron's mouth watering.
Without another word, he popped it into his mouth. Hot, savory flavor spread across his tongue. Salty and rich, it made his mouth water even more. He swallowed without thinking, and the slice slipped straight down his throat.
Ron froze. He hadn't even had time to savor it. How could it go down so easily?
Not about to give up, Ron reached for another slice. Cedric had already seen it coming. He moved the plate away, picked up a slice, and offered it to Xuanling.
Xuanling cawed twice at Ron, sounding thoroughly smug, then swallowed the blood sausage whole.
Thud! Xuanling went rigid and slipped off Cedric's shoulder. Ron reacted too slowly to catch him, but Cedric snatched him up.
"What's wrong with Xuanling? Don't tell me that sausage upset his stomach?" Ron, who had just swallowed a slice himself, rubbed his belly uneasily.
"Oh, please." Cedric glanced at him. "He's just had too much of a good thing."
The Eye of Discernment gave him the answer: Xuanling had taken in so many good things that he seemed ready to evolve.
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