Girl Meets Farm (2018–…): Season 12, Episode 10 - From Whitey's to Bernie's - full transcript

[Molly] As an homage to the
history of my new restaurant,

I am whipping up
some new classics.

Can it be opening day yet?

Like my crispy, glossy roasted
chicken with carrots and potatoes.

What a winner
of a chicken dinner.

A relish plate featuring
pink pickled beet eggs.

Oh, look at that pink color.

A smoky whitefish dip.

That is peaked with smokiness.

And my big, bright lemon,
poppy seed cake to celebrate.

It is so moist.



Welcome to Bernie's.

[Molly] Oh, yum.

Yay!

Hey, this is me, Molly Yeh.

Hey, this is me, Molly Yeh.

This is my husband, Nick.

This is our growing family.

And this is our home, our farm on
the North Dakota, Minnesota border.

The place where I eat,
sleep and breathe food.

Nick and I are opening
a restaurant

right here
in East Grand Forks.

It's going in
a historical space

that used to house this
local gem called Whitey's.

Whitey's was opened for almost
a hundred years.



It seems like everybody
in this town

It seems like everybody
in this town

has stories about
going to Whitey's.

And now we are honoring
the old and bringing in the new

with an eatery
called Bernie's.

So today, I am sharing recipes

inspired by
the original location.

For our celebratory dessert,

I'm baking up my lemon,
poppy seed cake,

filled with raspberry jam

and covered
with vanilla buttercream.

It is super soft and sweet
and moist.

I love it because of how
versatile and easy it is to make.

It all comes together
in one bowl.

It all comes together
in one bowl.

I'll start by combining
two-and-a-half cups of sugar

with one-and-a-half cups
of neutral oil.

I love an oil-based cake.

They stay moist for a while,

and there are so many
other flavors in here

that neutral oil works
perfectly fine.

I'll whisk this together
to combine.

I've baked this cake
as loaf cakes, as muffins.

Today, I'm doing a big
celebratory layer cake.

And it was actually

one of the flavors
that I baked

for Nick's sister, Anna,
and her husband, Jason,

when they got married
at Whitey's.

when they got married
at Whitey's.

I'll add four eggs,
one at a time.

So I'm whisking this well
to ensure

that the egg
are fully incorporated

and that the batter
is coming together smoothly.

If you don't whisk it
well enough,

the cake in the end
could taste a bit oily.

'Cause what you're doing
right now

is holding together the oil

and the eggs and the sugars
that it's emulsified.

It's kind of an arm workout.
[chuckles softly]

The power whisk.

[exhales sharply]

I'll zest in two lemons,

and then also squeeze in
half a cup of juice.

I'm just skimming off
the top layer,

being careful not to go down
to the lighter-colored pith

because that tastes
a little bitter.

You don't want that in there.

I'll juice in these
two lemons now.

I'll pop in
one-and-a-half cups

of whole milk Greek yogurt
for that great richness.

The tang of yogurt with lemon
is great together.

The tang of yogurt with lemon
is great together.

Also makes it healthy.

[chuckles softly]

You saw how much sugar
I added to this. [chuckles]

A quarter cup of poppy seeds.

They're just here for the
looks and slight bit of crunch.

I used to love getting
lemon poppy seed muffins

from the grocery store
with my mom when I was little.

Two teaspoons
of almond extract

and then
one cup of almond flour

for that dense, moist texture.

Okay, I'll whisk these
to combine.

So whenever I make
a one-bowl cake,

I do it in stages.

First, you wanna do the fat
and the sugar,

then add the eggs
so that gets fully emulsified.

And since the flower
isn't in here yet,

you don't have to worry about
overmixing the batter

and developing that gluten.

Next, I'll add three cups
of all-purpose flour,

half a teaspoon
of baking soda,

which will react
with the acidity in the lemon

to help the cake puff up
while it bakes.

Two teaspoons of baking powder

and one-and-a-half teaspoons
of kosher salt.

I'll bring the batter together
and whisk until it's just combined.

I'll bring the batter together
and whisk until it's just combined.

So the menu at Bernie's will
be inspired by Midwest flavors.

Lots of hotdish
and cookie salad.

And then one of the features
of the menu

that I am particularly
excited about

is having a Cake of the Day.

And this will be
one of the cakes on rotation.

What is the point
of opening up a restaurant

if you can't just fuel your crazy,
obsessive cake-baking habit?

'Cause then I will have a legit
reason to feed people cake.

'Cause then I will have a legit
reason to feed people cake.

I won't have to force it
upon Nick every day.

Okay. Let me get my cake pans.

I'll bake this up into three
eight-inch layers.

This will be a very big cake.

But you can also do
six-inch layers.

Or you can halve it and do a
couple of shorter eight-inch layers.

I'll divide this up evenly.

I'll stick these in the oven

I'll stick these in the oven

at 350 degrees
for about 35 minutes

until a toothpick stuck into
the center comes out clean.

And then I'll get going
on my buttercream.

My cakes are cooled
and I've got my frosting here.

It's just a classic
American buttercream

that I added
a bit of almond extract to

to amp up the almond
that's in the cake.

to amp up the almond
that's in the cake.

And now I'll get my spatula.

I'll glue the first layer down
with a schmear of frosting.

And then center this
on a circle.

Now just saw it off gently
with a serrated knife.

Yay.

Gotta do this.

Mmm.

It is so moist.

I'll spread this with a pretty thin
layer all the way through the edge.

And next, I'll do
a layer of raspberry jam,

And next, I'll do
a layer of raspberry jam,

but before I do that, I wanna create
a barrier to hold in the raspberry jam

so it doesn't
smoosh out the sides.

I don't wanna see it from
the outside of the cake.

So to do that,
I have a piping bag

filled with
some of my buttercream here.

I'll just pipe the border all the way
around the edge to create, like, the dam.

I'll get my jam.

I'm using raspberry because
I love the flavor with lemon,

and also
it looks really pretty.

This is a seedless jam
but seeded is fine, too.

I'll spread it all the way to
the border that I just piped.

I'll spread it all the way to
the border that I just piped.

Now it won't go anywhere.
It's locked in.

And now I keep on stacking
and then decorate.

Welcome to Bernie's.

[Molly] Coming up, the most succulent
main course on my new restaurant's menu,

it'll make your mouth water
for sure.

In planning the menu for
our new restaurant Bernie's,

we put together dishes that were timeless
and cozy and reflective of our region.

And tell me something
that's more timeless

than roasted chicken
with carrots and potatoes.

Super glossy, crispy skin,
juicy salty meat.

Really buttery mashed potatoes
and sweet roasted carrots.

I'm starting with
four chicken quarters.

So both the leg and the thigh,
bone and skin on.

Get the best chicken
you can find.

Because this is
such a simple dish,

Because this is
such a simple dish,

this is really all about making
chicken the best it can be.

And I'm only seasoning with
kosher salt and black pepper.

Hold your fingers up high
so that it rains down evenly.

And then also
a generous amount

of freshly cracked
black pepper.

Before I get this onto
my baking sheet,

I'm gonna set up little stages
for the chickens.

So I've got four lemon slices
and four leeks.

And I'll use these to prop up
the chicken so that as it roasts,

heat can get underneath
the chicken and make it crispy.

heat can get underneath
the chicken and make it crispy.

It doesn't get soggy.

And then also, of course,
the lemon and the leek

will infuse
the chicken with flavor

And my pan is lying
with some foil

because, eventually, I will wanna
catch all of the chicken juices

and use those for a jus
at the end.

And then I'll prop the chicken
on to their bed of lemon and leeks.

All right.
Let me wash my hands.

I'll stick these
in the oven now

at 450 degrees for 25 minutes

at 450 degrees for 25 minutes

while I make a garlic butter
to brush on.

I'll start by peeling and smashing
two large cloves of garlic.

I don't have to worry about
chopping them up

since I'm just using the
garlic to infuse the butter.

I'm just using the blunt end of
my knife to smash it and peel it.

I'll melt half a stick of
butter, toss in the garlic,

and just allow this to sizzle
for a few minutes

so that the butter can
take on that garlic flavor.

I remember going to Whitey's.

It must've been the first week
that I moved to town.

And I immediately noticed

And I immediately noticed

all of the local specialties
on their menu,

like walleye
and lots of meat and potatoes.

And I also immediately
picked up on how special it was.

I am smelling this garlic.

I'm gonna get the chicken
out of the oven.

The chicken
isn't fully cooked yet,

but it's already
starting to smell good

and the skin
is already looking crisp.

I'll brush the chicken all
over with the garlic butter.

I don't wanna do this
at the beginning

because I don't want
the butter to burn.

And also, I want to allow
the chicken skin

And also, I want to allow
the chicken skin

to get crispy
before adding butter.

Okay. Now with all
of the juices

and the butter that's fallen
down onto the pan,

I'll use those
to toss my carrots in.

I've got four carrots here,

and I think they look cute
with the stems still on them.

And they're peeled.

And I'll just roll them around
in the chicken juices

and the excess butter
that's fallen to the pan.

And this is perfect
timing now.

I'll get the chicken and the
carrots back into the oven,

and the carrots
will be perfectly cooked.

If I had put them on before, they
would've gotten overcooked and mushy.

If I had put them on before, they
would've gotten overcooked and mushy.

This will go back into the oven
now at 375 for about 20 minutes

until the chicken is golden brown and
cooked through and the carrots are tender.

Now I'll get going
on the mashed potatoes.

You've got to have a creamy,
buttery bed for this chicken.

I have already
boiled my potatoes.

This is two pounds
of Yukon Gold potatoes.

Yukon Gold are the butteriest,
creamiest potatoes,

Yukon Gold are the butteriest,
creamiest potatoes,

and I've riced them
so they're fluffy.

And now I'll pour in a
bunch of dairy [chuckles]

to make them creamy
and delicious.

I'll add a quarter cup
of whole milk.

One cup of heavy cream.

And six tablespoons
of unsalted butter.

And then I'll season
with some kosher salt.

I'll start with three-quarters
of a teaspoon

and then add more as I go,
in case it needs it.

Then instead of black pepper,
I'm using white pepper

so that the potatoes
stay pure and white.

I'll stir this around just
to allow the butter to melt

and everything
to get heated through.

You don't want to overmix
potatoes and make them gummy.

Okay, let me make sure
there's enough salt in these.

Mmm. Mmm.

They're perfect.
Potatoes are done.

I think I'm smelling
the chicken.

Hello.

I can practically see my
reflection in this glassy chicken.

Mmm. [exhales]
Smells heavenly.

Mmm. [exhales]
Smells heavenly.

My last step for this dish
is I'm gonna make a jus

to have a saucy element
on the bottom of the plate.

It'll add more flavor
and richness.

So I'll spoon off the juices that have
accumulated at the bottom of the pan.

Spoon it into a saucepan.

There's so much flavor here and
that butter that has accumulated

and that schmaltz.

And it just all comes together for one of
the more perfect bites of food in this world.

Okay.

Since there is a lot of fat
in these drippings,

Since there is a lot of fat
in these drippings,

I'll cut it
with some chicken stock.

These drippings are gonna
have the lemon and leek flavor too.

Sort of swirl this around.

It'll allow the chicken stock
to mingle with the juices.

The chicken stock kind of dilutes
the juices since they're so fatty.

Didn't think there were gonna be so many
sexy jus in this kitchen today, did ya?

Okay, I'll plate this up before
I embarrass myself anymore.

I'll start with the potatoes.

Not too much, not too little.

Add some jus.

Wanna do it on the bottom so it
doesn't make the chicken skin soggy.

Nestle this chicken right in.

Some carrots.

Okay, I'm definitely
gonna eat this leek too.

And I'll finish
with some flaky salt.

Mmm, mmm, mmm.

I don't wanna mess with it but
I also don't wanna not taste it.

I want a little bit
of everything in my bite.

Mmm.

Mmm.

All of those flavors
play so nicely together.

This is what I wanna eat
everyday of my life.

What a winner
of a chicken dinner.

[cheery music playing]

[Molly] Next I'm resurrecting a version
of an old classic to the Bernie's menu.

[lively music playing]

[Molly] Nick and I recently
took over a beautiful,

historical space in town
to open up a restaurant,

Bernie's.

And one of the appetizers
on our menu will pay homage

to the former restaurant
in the space, Whitey's

and the appetizer
is a relish tray.

It's a veggie tray
except everything is pickled.

Ours will feature
pink beet pickled eggs

and it will be plated up with
some different pickled things

as well as some
great sourdough toast,

really good ham
and house-made butter.

really good ham
and house-made butter.

I'll make my pickled eggs
and I'll start with a can of beets

that have been cooked and
peeled and I'll use this in the brine.

Wow, today was not the day
to wear a white shirt. [chuckles]

I'll pour this
into my blender.

[nervously]
Carefully, carefully.

[crowd cheering]

And then puree these.

So this will be the base
for the pickle brine.

[lively music playing]

- Neat.
- [whirring stops]

Now press this mixture through
a sieve to get rid of the solids.

I'll just use the liquid.

So the beat pickled eggs were not
on the original relish tray at Whitey's,

but I love them
and they're a loose nod

to all the beet farmers
of this region.

So it is so convenient
that you can buy beets

that are already cooked
and peeled,

but if you're doing that
from scratch,

I always like to handle beets using gloves
so that my hands don't get dyed pink.

So just press the juices
through the sieve.

Gotta do this carefully and not
splatter on my shirt. [chuckles softly]

Gotta do this carefully and not
splatter on my shirt. [chuckles softly]

Right.

And then I'll combine this with
half a cup of red wine vinegar

for that important
pickle-y acidity.

Half a cup of sugar.

A little bit of nutmeg.

That warmth is so nice
with the beets.

Add some kosher salt...

and a quarter cup
of water.

So I'll whisk this together
and heat it up

just to allow the sugar to
dissolve and that's my brine.

So a relish tray is a staple
of old-school supper clubs

and it's confusing because it doesn't
necessarily have to have relish on it.

It essentially just has
to have some pickle-y things.

So, typically, it would be a
sectioned plate with pickles, olives,

maybe some pickled okra
or other pickled veggies,

and if you talked to anybody who
went to Whitey's when it was open,

one of the first things they
mention is the Whitey's relish tray.

So of course we had to resurrect
the relish tray for Bernie's,

So of course we had to resurrect
the relish tray for Bernie's,

but we're putting
our own spin on it.

We're adding
these beet-pickled eggs.

We're adding some radishes

and instead
of the chicken liver pate,

we're doing
some really awesome ham.

That's good.

I've got my eggs here. These
have been boiled for 7 minutes

which will yield the perfect,
soft but not too runny yolk.

And I've peeled them.

I'll pour my brine
right over.

These are gonna be so pretty.

So I'll cool this
to room temperature

and then stick it in the refrigerator
for about six to eight hours

and then stick it in the refrigerator
for about six to eight hours

or you can also go overnight
or even for multiple nights

and then they'll take on that
awesome, pink color and pickle-y flavor.

[lively music playing]

My eggs have pickled. I've
got my other little noshes here.

Slice these up.

I'm gonna use a fork...

so my fingers don't get dyed.

Oh, look at that pink color.

Hold on, wait for it.

I'll slice it in half.

I'll slice it in half.

Oh, yeah, look at that perfect
yolk and the pink ombre.

I mean...

It advertises itself.

Sprinkle with some salt
and pepper.

I really think there's only
room for three halves here

which is a shame 'cause I
guess I have to eat this other half.

[chuckles]

Mmm.

Mmm. Mmm.

Mmm. Mmm.

A really good,
perfectly boiled egg

with a little bit
of that beet flavor

and the sweetness
from the brine.

I mean...

Don't you wanna come
eat at Bernie's?

[popping]

- [grinding]
- [crunch]

[Molly] Still to come.

The big dip
you've been waiting for.

I can't wait.

[country music playing]

Really good appetizers
are a sign

of a really good
restaurant,

so I am whipping up
a wonderful whitefish dip.

Which is smoky and creamy,
and herby and bright.

And it also showcases the
amazing whitefish of our region.

I'm just chucking everything
into a food processor

starting with some capers
for brininess.

These are little bursts of flavor
that go so well with lake fish.

I'll coarsely chop a shallot.

This is sort of a loose nod
to Jewish appetizing.

This is sort of a loose nod
to Jewish appetizing.

There will obviously be a few nods
to Jewish cuisine at this restaurant.

Things will get
everything-bagel seasoned.

There will be a babka.

And of course,
this whitefish dip.

It's just like something that
you would get on a bagel.

I'll chop up some celery

and I don't have to be too
exact with chopping this up.

since it'll get pulsed
in the food processor.

Add some dill and chives.

I love how bright this dip is.

I love how bright this dip is.

Then a couple
of good pinches of salt

and black pepper.

I'll pulse this a few times just to
break everything up into small pieces.

That's good. I like it
on the chunkier side.

I'll bring this together
with some mayonnaise.

My favorite ingredient
of all time.

Some sour cream.

The sour cream brightens up the
mayonnaise, but keeps it creamy.

And the juice of a lemon.

And the juice of a lemon.

You really can't go wrong when
you're adding lemon and capers and dill

to a great whitefish.

I'll pulse this a few
more times to combine.

And that looks great.

So that's essentially my dressing
and I'll toss it in with my fish.

I've got
a smoked whitefish here

This has been de-boned and now I'll
just break it up into smaller pieces,

but some bigger bits
are tasty too.

but some bigger bits
are tasty too.

The lemon and the dill in this
just make this fish sing.

Looks good.

I'll dump in
my mayo mixture...

and toss it all together.
Easy-peasy.

Um, yeah.

Smells great.
I'll plate it up.

I've got some rye toasts
to serve it with.

[upbeat music playing]

Mmm, mmm, mmm.

Get little dill on top.

Just like that.

Better make sure it's good.

Mmm.

That is peaked with smokiness.

Can it be opening day yet?

[ringing]

- [dinging]
- [crowd cheering]

[chomping]