Girl Meets Farm (2018–…): Season 12, Episode 11 - Best of Bernie's - full transcript
[Molly] We're close
to the opening of our
new restaurant
in town, Bernie's.
We want everyone
to feel welcome.
And I'm sharing some of the
best recipes on the menu...
Do I look restaurant official?
...like my insanely good Wild Rice
Burger with cheese and bacon...
Look at all the colors
and the textures.
It's so plump and happy.
...refreshing Green Goddess
Salad tossed with creamy dressing...
It smells so fresh.
...the crispiest, saltiest
bistro fries of your life...
Mmm.
...and for a cute,
sweet treat,
...and for a cute,
sweet treat,
my Sprinkle Cake Donuts.
How could you not
be happy eating these?
Oh, yum.
Yay!
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.
We are so close to the opening
of our new restaurant
in town, Bernie's.
of our new restaurant
in town, Bernie's.
So, I'm cooking up
some of the menu's greatest hits and
then bringing them over to the space
to test out a booth and make sure
it's got the cozy energy that we need.
For dessert, I'm frying up
our Sprinkle Cake Donuts
which are super moist and
a little lemony and almondy,
and they've got this shell of
sprinkles that are crunchy and sweet.
I'll start with my dough by
mixing up my dry ingredients.
I'll use three cups of cake
flour which will make the innards
kind of lighter and fluffier.
kind of lighter and fluffier.
What I love about these donuts is
that when you bite into them you get,
first that sensation of biting
through that crisp shell
and then when you
get to the inside,
they're soft and fluffy
and moist.
And half a cup
of all-purpose flour
which will add some heft and prevent
it from being too light and crumbly.
Two and a half teaspoons
of baking powder
will allow these
to puff up as they fry.
And a teaspoon of kosher salt.
This style of donut is
super popular around here.
They are recognizable
by their crackly shell.
They are recognizable
by their crackly shell.
They're a cake donut. So,
they don't get too puffy and airy.
They retain that denseness
so you got more to bite into.
[inhales sharply] It's everything
you want with your morning coffee.
For the wet ingredients,
I have three and a half
tablespoons of melted butter,
two-thirds of a cup
of granulated sugar,
and I'll mix this
up to combine.
And I like that it's melted butter
here versus softened butter,
because it allows the texture
to be little bit more dense.
because it allows the texture
to be little bit more dense.
[whirring]
[Molly] I'll add three
egg yolks, one at a time.
Using just the egg yolks,
not the egg whites,
creates a richer
texture and flavor.
Gonna let this go until
it's pale and fluffy.
I'll zest in half of a lemon.
And using a zest like this
as opposed to the juice
allows you to get lemon flavor
without adding too much moisture.
Two teaspoons of vanilla extract
and a teaspoon of almond extract.
Two teaspoons of vanilla extract
and a teaspoon of almond extract.
All these flavors together
give you some major nostalgic
birthday cake energy.
And then a third
of a cup of sour cream
and a third of a cup
of softened cream cheese
which gives you the acidity and tang
that you need for a well-balanced flavor.
I'll get this combined.
[whirring]
Okay, this is
smooth and combined.
I'll add the dry
ingredients now gradually.
And once all of the flour is combined
and I can no longer see any dry bits,
turn off the mixer.
[sniffing]
Mmm. That would be
my signature scent.
Cream cheese,
lemon and almond.
I'll wrap this in plastic
and then stick it in the
refrigerator for two hours,
and then I'll be ready
to roll and fry and sprinkle.
My dough is chilled,
I'm ready to roll it out.
My dough is chilled,
I'm ready to roll it out.
I have some flour on my counter
here so that the dough doesn't stick.
I'll roll it out until it's
a scant half-inch thick.
Looks good, looks even, looks smooth.
I can see the lemon zest in there.
I've got my three-inch
donut cutter here.
You don't have one of these, you could use
a biscuit cutter or even a drinking glass.
Cut one of these puppies out.
[mimicking fanfare]
Just like that.
So geometrically pleasing.
I'll place it on to a tray,
continue cutting these out,
and then before I fry these, I will
stick them back in the refrigerator
and then before I fry these, I will
stick them back in the refrigerator
for another hour so
they can firm up.
My dough is chilled,
it's ready to be fried.
And now I have my neutral oil
here heating at 350 degrees.
So, I'll do three at a time.
I'll gently lower them in.
They're sizzling already.
And I'll fry these on both sides for a
few minutes until they're golden brown.
It's important to fry
these in batches
so that you don't drop the
temperature of the oil too much
so that you don't drop the
temperature of the oil too much
because if you do that, the oil will
actually start to soak into the donut
and that donut
will taste greasy.
Okay, see what's
happening here?
How the dough is starting
to crackle open and break.
That's what's gonna give you
some great fried crispy bits.
And also some grooves
that will catch the glaze.
And it looks cool.
I'll gently turn these over and get
golden color on the other side too.
Nick and I are opening this restaurant
and we want everyone to feel welcome,
at all times of day.
at all times of day.
We want it to be a casual
but still special place,
and of course,
get a donut on the way
to work with good coffee.
These are done frying.
I love it when the oil still sizzles
on the surface of the donut.
I'll transfer these to a wire rack
so that any excess oil can drip off.
And while they're still warm,
I'll take them for a dunk
in a simple powdered sugar glaze that I've
enhanced with a little almond extract.
I'll swish it around
on one side and then
I'll swish it around
on one side and then
flip it and swish it
around on the other.
I like to be able to see
the donut through the glaze.
That's the consistency of
the glaze that I'm going for.
Now into a sprinkle bath.
I want to get this completely
coated in sprinkles.
I just, like, can't wait
to make these at Bernie's
in a huge bathtub
of sprinkles.
[sings] Ah.
So, even though
we haven't opened yet,
we still wanted to sponsor a
softball team, Little League, in town.
we still wanted to sponsor a
softball team, Little League, in town.
All the credit for that
idea goes to Nick.
We went to a game
the other night and
the girls were wearing
hot pink shirts
that said "Bernie's."
They were so cute.
We brought them all donuts.
I'm going to do one of these.
[crackling]
[humming] Mmm.
The tang of the cream
cheese gets me every time.
How could you not
be happy eating these?
Coming up, a burger
without the beef.
The secret Minnesotan
ingredient to make it irresistible.
For our Bernie's booth
lunch test drive,
I'm making a burger that
will blow your buckets.
My Wild Rice Burger
with Bacon and Cheese
is so chewy
and hearty and filling.
And it is a total
regional favorite.
It also all comes together
in one bowl really easy.
I'm starting off with three
cups of cooked wild rice.
Around here, if you see a veggie burger,
chances are it's wild rice based.
Around here, if you see a veggie burger,
chances are it's wild rice based.
Wild rice is the state
grain of Minnesota
so we obviously had
to have it on the menu.
When you get it, it's super
dark but then when you boil it,
it softens but it
retains its heft.
And then it also
kind of splits open
and gets a little curly.
Its chew is what makes it a
great base for a veggie burger
because really gives you
something to bite into.
So, to my wild rice I'll add a
quarter cup of sunflower seeds
for some additional
texture and crunch.
for some additional
texture and crunch.
I'll also add six tablespoons
of panko breadcrumbs
to help bind
everything together.
And then half a cup
of shredded Parmesan cheese
for that great umami
flavor and saltiness.
I'll season this with a teaspoon
each of paprika for smokiness.
Dried thyme.
I love how flavorful
this patty is.
Garlic and onion powder.
And this Wild Rice Burger represents
so much of what our menu is about.
We want to showcase local
ingredients, local cuisine.
And wild rice is
Minnesota in a grain.
And wild rice is
Minnesota in a grain.
And then half
a teaspoon of celery salt
for saltiness as
well as grassy notes.
And a half teaspoon
of kosher salt.
Black pepper.
You know what this is? This is
the veggie burger for meat eaters.
I'll mix this to combine.
And then bring this mixture
together with three eggs.
Sometimes it looks like it's not gonna
be enough egg to bind this all together
but as you mix,
it will come together.
Oh, I love wild rice.
It's great in savory
and sweet dishes.
It's great in savory
and sweet dishes.
It's a great grain.
Okay, the egg is
thoroughly combined.
All these seasonings
are smelling delightful.
I'll get some oil heating
up in my skillet.
I'll form two patties.
This batch is big enough for
four but I'll just do two at a time.
I find it easiest
to make a ball first,
and firmly pack them.
And unlike a meat patty, these do maintain
their size while they are cooking.
Sometimes meat patties, you
know, they kind of shrink up a bit.
Sometimes meat patties, you
know, they kind of shrink up a bit.
I can do it about the same
exact size as the burger bun
and then have it
stack up cleanly.
I'll gently lower
this into the oil.
Form one more.
I love not handling raw meat.
I'll fry these up until
they're golden on the bottom,
three to five minutes over
medium, and then flip them over
and let them go for another
three to five minutes
until they have that
golden crisp shell.
until they have that
golden crisp shell.
One thing I'm learning
about opening a restaurant
is that it requires five million,
gazillion decisions to be made.
Everything from what's
gonna be on the menu
to what our accent
color is gonna be
to different chairs
and table finishes.
Oh, yeah. That's some
good golden brown color.
The one thing that
has been a constant
is that there will be a Wild
Rice Burger on the menu.
I'll let these go for another few minutes
on the bottom while I grab my toppings.
I've got lettuce, pickled
onions, mayo and mustard
I've got lettuce, pickled
onions, mayo and mustard
and American cheese 'cause
it's melty and delicious on burgers.
You know you like it.
I'll let these go for another few minutes
while I grab my buns and assemble.
They're buttery and toasted.
I'll get a serving platter.
I'll start with
a squiggle of mayo.
Gotta have that creaminess.
Top with the patty.
And that's a good
patty to bun ratio.
I know it might be weird to top
a veggie burger with bacon but,
it tastes good.
It will obviously be optional
and it's more representative
of the way that I eat,
mostly veggies,
a little bit of meat.
Some lettuce.
Pink pickled onions.
They add brininess.
And you've gotta have pickles
and onions on a burger.
This just combines the two.
And it also helps cut the richness
of the bacon and the cheese.
And it also helps cut the richness
of the bacon and the cheese.
And then I'll glue the top
buns on with mustard.
Hee-hee. Look at all
the colors and the textures.
It's so plump and happy.
I'm gonna squish into it.
Just bring it all
together with a pat.
[exhales] Here I go.
Mmm.
Perfection between two buns.
Perfection between two buns.
That is one wildly
amazing burger.
Next, a crunchy, creamy,
dreamy salad side
that'll hold its
own next to the fries.
For a little something fresh
to go with the Wild
Rice Burger,
that'll hold its own
next to a plate of fries,
I am making my
Green Goddess Salad
which is bright and beautiful
and creamy and herby.
And it's got crunchy
everything bagel crumbs.
Oh, my goddess.
Is it lunch time yet?
I'll start by making some everything
crumbs which add crunch to this salad.
It's like that necessary
carby element too
It's like that necessary
carby element too
that makes you crave
a big bed of greens.
I've got some
bagel chips here.
I'll dump them
into my food processor.
You could also use pita chips,
that would be tasty.
And even though these have
some everything bagel seasoning
on top of them already, I'll enhance them
with more everything bagel seasoning.
And I'll pulse this just
to break it up into crumbs.
I'll get these out
of my food processor.
[sniffs] Mmm. They smell
good and garlicky.
I'll reserve these
for sprinkling later.
I'll reserve these
for sprinkling later.
And then I'll use this
to make my dressing too.
And then Green Goddess by
definition is a ton of herbs.
For the base, I'll use a quarter
cup each of mayo and yogurt.
So you get the rich
creaminess of mayo
and that tart fluffiness
from yogurt.
And then all my fresh herbs.
I've got basil, parsley,
dill and thyme here.
I'll give these a rough chop before
tossing them into the processor.
Oh, that basil smells so good.
These will make the dressing
pretty and green.
I'll add most of my dill now
and then save some of it
to sprinkle on at the end.
So, you get double the dill.
And you get some good old
Jewish chicken soup vibes in there.
A little fresh thyme
for earthiness.
A clove of garlic.
A shallot for a subtle
onion flavor.
I'll add the juice of a lemon.
Even though this is
a creamy dressing,
it's a super bright dressing
thanks to this lemon.
And some salt and pepper.
And I'll blend this
until it's creamy.
And I'll blend this
until it's creamy.
[whirring]
And then I'll continue
to blend this
and drizzle in a tablespoon of
olive oil for some added richness.
- [clicks]
- [whirring stops]
Smells so fresh.
Mmm.
Mmm!
That is so creamy and fresh. It's
good enough to eat with a spoon.
I'll jar it up.
I like being able to see the
speckles of the herbs in here.
Okay.
Okay.
I'll get my salad ingredients
and put this fresh
beauty together.
I have velvety butter lettuce,
peppery radishes and chives here.
I'll add some avocado
for creaminess.
I like big, thin slices.
I could just eat this
every single day.
I'll scoop out the slices.
We don't have a ton of avocado at
Bernie's since they're not local but
I'm making an exception for
this salad because it's so good
I'm making an exception for
this salad because it's so good
with the creaminess
of the avocado.
For some acid, I'll sprinkle
on some pink pickled onions.
Also for a super great
and intense color.
I'll add a few
hard-boiled egg wedges.
Make it like
a fun chef's salad.
I've got my everything bagel
crumbs. Just make it rain.
A little flaky salt.
Wanna play close attention
to make sure that
I'm seasoning the eggs and the
avocado 'cause they really need it.
Some black pepper.
[grinding]
[Molly] Lastly, a little dill.
[Molly] Lastly, a little dill.
This looks great but it's gonna be
even better with the dressing on it.
So, I'll save the dressing
though to toss right before we eat
so that it's extra
fresh that way.
So, if you see me
at Bernie's at lunchtime,
chances are I'll either be
decorating a cake or eating this salad.
Still to come,
the trick to the crispiest
fry in town.
Our restaurant Bernie's
is about to open
but before it does,
I'm taking a few
of my favorite menu items for
a test run right here at home.
One non-negotiable when we were developing
the menu was that it would have to have
good, crispy, salty,
bistro style fries.
They are triple fried,
triple fun,
and triple dunked in mayo.
and triple dunked in mayo.
To start, I have two pounds
of russet potatoes
that I've cut to uniform size.
And I've soaked them in ice water
for half an hour which does two things.
One is it draws the starch out
which yields a crispier potato
and it also helps seal up the pores
which also yields a crispier potato.
And I'm gonna fry them three
times for maximum crunch.
So, for this first fry, I have my
neutral oil heating here to 310 degrees.
So, for this first fry, I have my
neutral oil heating here to 310 degrees.
So, it's on the lower side
but I'm just using this first cook
to cook the potatoes through
to get the innards creamy.
I'll gently lower
these into the oil.
I'll cook this for two to three minutes
until the potatoes are softened.
So, this step is just
a blanching stage.
I'm not worrying about getting
the outside crispy yet.
So, there are a lot of potato
farms in this region
and actually this farm used to be a potato
farm until it was a sugar beet farm.
Of course we had
to add them to the menu.
I'm gonna test to see if
they're cooked through.
So, I'll just cut
through with a spoon,
and if it cuts through easily,
that's how I know that it's blanched.
I'll keep on blanching these
and then stick them all
in the fridge for 30 minutes
while I increase my oil
temperature to 355 degrees.
It's fry time.
My oil is hotter.
My fries are colder. Now
it's time to get these crispy.
So, for the second fry,
I'll gently lower these in.
So, for the second fry,
I'll gently lower these in.
My oil's at 355 degrees. I'll fry
these now for two to three minutes
until they're golden
brown all over.
We actually have a French
fry factory in town.
My favorite thing to do
is drive right by it and...
smell the French fries.
These are looking golden
brown and crispy to me.
I'll remove them from the oil.
Transfer them back
to the wire rack.
And fry up the second
batch now.
Fries are actually
magical in that
Fries are actually
magical in that
if somebody else that you're dining
with orders them from the menu,
they don't have calories.
Mmm. That is some
great French fry color.
They'd be good right now but I'm gonna fry
them a third time to get them extra crispy.
You wanna make sure not
to burn the potatoes.
So, if you leave it in the fryer
for too long, you might burn them.
But if you take them out
and let them cool for a little bit,
you're able to get
them extra crisp.
So, this last fry
is just a few seconds.
So, this last fry
is just a few seconds.
Get them into a big bowl.
These look stunning.
There's room in my bowl to toss them
around and get them fully coated in salt.
Don't hold back with the salt.
Do I look restaurant official?
[snickers]
Oh, yeah. Little more.
Toss them around to get
them evenly coated.
And I'll sprinkle on some
chopped parsley for color.
Now that looks
like a bowl of fries.
Okay, so a bistro fry has
gotta have aioli or mayo.
Okay, so a bistro fry has
gotta have aioli or mayo.
That's a crispy one.
to the opening of our
new restaurant
in town, Bernie's.
We want everyone
to feel welcome.
And I'm sharing some of the
best recipes on the menu...
Do I look restaurant official?
...like my insanely good Wild Rice
Burger with cheese and bacon...
Look at all the colors
and the textures.
It's so plump and happy.
...refreshing Green Goddess
Salad tossed with creamy dressing...
It smells so fresh.
...the crispiest, saltiest
bistro fries of your life...
Mmm.
...and for a cute,
sweet treat,
...and for a cute,
sweet treat,
my Sprinkle Cake Donuts.
How could you not
be happy eating these?
Oh, yum.
Yay!
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.
We are so close to the opening
of our new restaurant
in town, Bernie's.
of our new restaurant
in town, Bernie's.
So, I'm cooking up
some of the menu's greatest hits and
then bringing them over to the space
to test out a booth and make sure
it's got the cozy energy that we need.
For dessert, I'm frying up
our Sprinkle Cake Donuts
which are super moist and
a little lemony and almondy,
and they've got this shell of
sprinkles that are crunchy and sweet.
I'll start with my dough by
mixing up my dry ingredients.
I'll use three cups of cake
flour which will make the innards
kind of lighter and fluffier.
kind of lighter and fluffier.
What I love about these donuts is
that when you bite into them you get,
first that sensation of biting
through that crisp shell
and then when you
get to the inside,
they're soft and fluffy
and moist.
And half a cup
of all-purpose flour
which will add some heft and prevent
it from being too light and crumbly.
Two and a half teaspoons
of baking powder
will allow these
to puff up as they fry.
And a teaspoon of kosher salt.
This style of donut is
super popular around here.
They are recognizable
by their crackly shell.
They are recognizable
by their crackly shell.
They're a cake donut. So,
they don't get too puffy and airy.
They retain that denseness
so you got more to bite into.
[inhales sharply] It's everything
you want with your morning coffee.
For the wet ingredients,
I have three and a half
tablespoons of melted butter,
two-thirds of a cup
of granulated sugar,
and I'll mix this
up to combine.
And I like that it's melted butter
here versus softened butter,
because it allows the texture
to be little bit more dense.
because it allows the texture
to be little bit more dense.
[whirring]
[Molly] I'll add three
egg yolks, one at a time.
Using just the egg yolks,
not the egg whites,
creates a richer
texture and flavor.
Gonna let this go until
it's pale and fluffy.
I'll zest in half of a lemon.
And using a zest like this
as opposed to the juice
allows you to get lemon flavor
without adding too much moisture.
Two teaspoons of vanilla extract
and a teaspoon of almond extract.
Two teaspoons of vanilla extract
and a teaspoon of almond extract.
All these flavors together
give you some major nostalgic
birthday cake energy.
And then a third
of a cup of sour cream
and a third of a cup
of softened cream cheese
which gives you the acidity and tang
that you need for a well-balanced flavor.
I'll get this combined.
[whirring]
Okay, this is
smooth and combined.
I'll add the dry
ingredients now gradually.
And once all of the flour is combined
and I can no longer see any dry bits,
turn off the mixer.
[sniffing]
Mmm. That would be
my signature scent.
Cream cheese,
lemon and almond.
I'll wrap this in plastic
and then stick it in the
refrigerator for two hours,
and then I'll be ready
to roll and fry and sprinkle.
My dough is chilled,
I'm ready to roll it out.
My dough is chilled,
I'm ready to roll it out.
I have some flour on my counter
here so that the dough doesn't stick.
I'll roll it out until it's
a scant half-inch thick.
Looks good, looks even, looks smooth.
I can see the lemon zest in there.
I've got my three-inch
donut cutter here.
You don't have one of these, you could use
a biscuit cutter or even a drinking glass.
Cut one of these puppies out.
[mimicking fanfare]
Just like that.
So geometrically pleasing.
I'll place it on to a tray,
continue cutting these out,
and then before I fry these, I will
stick them back in the refrigerator
and then before I fry these, I will
stick them back in the refrigerator
for another hour so
they can firm up.
My dough is chilled,
it's ready to be fried.
And now I have my neutral oil
here heating at 350 degrees.
So, I'll do three at a time.
I'll gently lower them in.
They're sizzling already.
And I'll fry these on both sides for a
few minutes until they're golden brown.
It's important to fry
these in batches
so that you don't drop the
temperature of the oil too much
so that you don't drop the
temperature of the oil too much
because if you do that, the oil will
actually start to soak into the donut
and that donut
will taste greasy.
Okay, see what's
happening here?
How the dough is starting
to crackle open and break.
That's what's gonna give you
some great fried crispy bits.
And also some grooves
that will catch the glaze.
And it looks cool.
I'll gently turn these over and get
golden color on the other side too.
Nick and I are opening this restaurant
and we want everyone to feel welcome,
at all times of day.
at all times of day.
We want it to be a casual
but still special place,
and of course,
get a donut on the way
to work with good coffee.
These are done frying.
I love it when the oil still sizzles
on the surface of the donut.
I'll transfer these to a wire rack
so that any excess oil can drip off.
And while they're still warm,
I'll take them for a dunk
in a simple powdered sugar glaze that I've
enhanced with a little almond extract.
I'll swish it around
on one side and then
I'll swish it around
on one side and then
flip it and swish it
around on the other.
I like to be able to see
the donut through the glaze.
That's the consistency of
the glaze that I'm going for.
Now into a sprinkle bath.
I want to get this completely
coated in sprinkles.
I just, like, can't wait
to make these at Bernie's
in a huge bathtub
of sprinkles.
[sings] Ah.
So, even though
we haven't opened yet,
we still wanted to sponsor a
softball team, Little League, in town.
we still wanted to sponsor a
softball team, Little League, in town.
All the credit for that
idea goes to Nick.
We went to a game
the other night and
the girls were wearing
hot pink shirts
that said "Bernie's."
They were so cute.
We brought them all donuts.
I'm going to do one of these.
[crackling]
[humming] Mmm.
The tang of the cream
cheese gets me every time.
How could you not
be happy eating these?
Coming up, a burger
without the beef.
The secret Minnesotan
ingredient to make it irresistible.
For our Bernie's booth
lunch test drive,
I'm making a burger that
will blow your buckets.
My Wild Rice Burger
with Bacon and Cheese
is so chewy
and hearty and filling.
And it is a total
regional favorite.
It also all comes together
in one bowl really easy.
I'm starting off with three
cups of cooked wild rice.
Around here, if you see a veggie burger,
chances are it's wild rice based.
Around here, if you see a veggie burger,
chances are it's wild rice based.
Wild rice is the state
grain of Minnesota
so we obviously had
to have it on the menu.
When you get it, it's super
dark but then when you boil it,
it softens but it
retains its heft.
And then it also
kind of splits open
and gets a little curly.
Its chew is what makes it a
great base for a veggie burger
because really gives you
something to bite into.
So, to my wild rice I'll add a
quarter cup of sunflower seeds
for some additional
texture and crunch.
for some additional
texture and crunch.
I'll also add six tablespoons
of panko breadcrumbs
to help bind
everything together.
And then half a cup
of shredded Parmesan cheese
for that great umami
flavor and saltiness.
I'll season this with a teaspoon
each of paprika for smokiness.
Dried thyme.
I love how flavorful
this patty is.
Garlic and onion powder.
And this Wild Rice Burger represents
so much of what our menu is about.
We want to showcase local
ingredients, local cuisine.
And wild rice is
Minnesota in a grain.
And wild rice is
Minnesota in a grain.
And then half
a teaspoon of celery salt
for saltiness as
well as grassy notes.
And a half teaspoon
of kosher salt.
Black pepper.
You know what this is? This is
the veggie burger for meat eaters.
I'll mix this to combine.
And then bring this mixture
together with three eggs.
Sometimes it looks like it's not gonna
be enough egg to bind this all together
but as you mix,
it will come together.
Oh, I love wild rice.
It's great in savory
and sweet dishes.
It's great in savory
and sweet dishes.
It's a great grain.
Okay, the egg is
thoroughly combined.
All these seasonings
are smelling delightful.
I'll get some oil heating
up in my skillet.
I'll form two patties.
This batch is big enough for
four but I'll just do two at a time.
I find it easiest
to make a ball first,
and firmly pack them.
And unlike a meat patty, these do maintain
their size while they are cooking.
Sometimes meat patties, you
know, they kind of shrink up a bit.
Sometimes meat patties, you
know, they kind of shrink up a bit.
I can do it about the same
exact size as the burger bun
and then have it
stack up cleanly.
I'll gently lower
this into the oil.
Form one more.
I love not handling raw meat.
I'll fry these up until
they're golden on the bottom,
three to five minutes over
medium, and then flip them over
and let them go for another
three to five minutes
until they have that
golden crisp shell.
until they have that
golden crisp shell.
One thing I'm learning
about opening a restaurant
is that it requires five million,
gazillion decisions to be made.
Everything from what's
gonna be on the menu
to what our accent
color is gonna be
to different chairs
and table finishes.
Oh, yeah. That's some
good golden brown color.
The one thing that
has been a constant
is that there will be a Wild
Rice Burger on the menu.
I'll let these go for another few minutes
on the bottom while I grab my toppings.
I've got lettuce, pickled
onions, mayo and mustard
I've got lettuce, pickled
onions, mayo and mustard
and American cheese 'cause
it's melty and delicious on burgers.
You know you like it.
I'll let these go for another few minutes
while I grab my buns and assemble.
They're buttery and toasted.
I'll get a serving platter.
I'll start with
a squiggle of mayo.
Gotta have that creaminess.
Top with the patty.
And that's a good
patty to bun ratio.
I know it might be weird to top
a veggie burger with bacon but,
it tastes good.
It will obviously be optional
and it's more representative
of the way that I eat,
mostly veggies,
a little bit of meat.
Some lettuce.
Pink pickled onions.
They add brininess.
And you've gotta have pickles
and onions on a burger.
This just combines the two.
And it also helps cut the richness
of the bacon and the cheese.
And it also helps cut the richness
of the bacon and the cheese.
And then I'll glue the top
buns on with mustard.
Hee-hee. Look at all
the colors and the textures.
It's so plump and happy.
I'm gonna squish into it.
Just bring it all
together with a pat.
[exhales] Here I go.
Mmm.
Perfection between two buns.
Perfection between two buns.
That is one wildly
amazing burger.
Next, a crunchy, creamy,
dreamy salad side
that'll hold its
own next to the fries.
For a little something fresh
to go with the Wild
Rice Burger,
that'll hold its own
next to a plate of fries,
I am making my
Green Goddess Salad
which is bright and beautiful
and creamy and herby.
And it's got crunchy
everything bagel crumbs.
Oh, my goddess.
Is it lunch time yet?
I'll start by making some everything
crumbs which add crunch to this salad.
It's like that necessary
carby element too
It's like that necessary
carby element too
that makes you crave
a big bed of greens.
I've got some
bagel chips here.
I'll dump them
into my food processor.
You could also use pita chips,
that would be tasty.
And even though these have
some everything bagel seasoning
on top of them already, I'll enhance them
with more everything bagel seasoning.
And I'll pulse this just
to break it up into crumbs.
I'll get these out
of my food processor.
[sniffs] Mmm. They smell
good and garlicky.
I'll reserve these
for sprinkling later.
I'll reserve these
for sprinkling later.
And then I'll use this
to make my dressing too.
And then Green Goddess by
definition is a ton of herbs.
For the base, I'll use a quarter
cup each of mayo and yogurt.
So you get the rich
creaminess of mayo
and that tart fluffiness
from yogurt.
And then all my fresh herbs.
I've got basil, parsley,
dill and thyme here.
I'll give these a rough chop before
tossing them into the processor.
Oh, that basil smells so good.
These will make the dressing
pretty and green.
I'll add most of my dill now
and then save some of it
to sprinkle on at the end.
So, you get double the dill.
And you get some good old
Jewish chicken soup vibes in there.
A little fresh thyme
for earthiness.
A clove of garlic.
A shallot for a subtle
onion flavor.
I'll add the juice of a lemon.
Even though this is
a creamy dressing,
it's a super bright dressing
thanks to this lemon.
And some salt and pepper.
And I'll blend this
until it's creamy.
And I'll blend this
until it's creamy.
[whirring]
And then I'll continue
to blend this
and drizzle in a tablespoon of
olive oil for some added richness.
- [clicks]
- [whirring stops]
Smells so fresh.
Mmm.
Mmm!
That is so creamy and fresh. It's
good enough to eat with a spoon.
I'll jar it up.
I like being able to see the
speckles of the herbs in here.
Okay.
Okay.
I'll get my salad ingredients
and put this fresh
beauty together.
I have velvety butter lettuce,
peppery radishes and chives here.
I'll add some avocado
for creaminess.
I like big, thin slices.
I could just eat this
every single day.
I'll scoop out the slices.
We don't have a ton of avocado at
Bernie's since they're not local but
I'm making an exception for
this salad because it's so good
I'm making an exception for
this salad because it's so good
with the creaminess
of the avocado.
For some acid, I'll sprinkle
on some pink pickled onions.
Also for a super great
and intense color.
I'll add a few
hard-boiled egg wedges.
Make it like
a fun chef's salad.
I've got my everything bagel
crumbs. Just make it rain.
A little flaky salt.
Wanna play close attention
to make sure that
I'm seasoning the eggs and the
avocado 'cause they really need it.
Some black pepper.
[grinding]
[Molly] Lastly, a little dill.
[Molly] Lastly, a little dill.
This looks great but it's gonna be
even better with the dressing on it.
So, I'll save the dressing
though to toss right before we eat
so that it's extra
fresh that way.
So, if you see me
at Bernie's at lunchtime,
chances are I'll either be
decorating a cake or eating this salad.
Still to come,
the trick to the crispiest
fry in town.
Our restaurant Bernie's
is about to open
but before it does,
I'm taking a few
of my favorite menu items for
a test run right here at home.
One non-negotiable when we were developing
the menu was that it would have to have
good, crispy, salty,
bistro style fries.
They are triple fried,
triple fun,
and triple dunked in mayo.
and triple dunked in mayo.
To start, I have two pounds
of russet potatoes
that I've cut to uniform size.
And I've soaked them in ice water
for half an hour which does two things.
One is it draws the starch out
which yields a crispier potato
and it also helps seal up the pores
which also yields a crispier potato.
And I'm gonna fry them three
times for maximum crunch.
So, for this first fry, I have my
neutral oil heating here to 310 degrees.
So, for this first fry, I have my
neutral oil heating here to 310 degrees.
So, it's on the lower side
but I'm just using this first cook
to cook the potatoes through
to get the innards creamy.
I'll gently lower
these into the oil.
I'll cook this for two to three minutes
until the potatoes are softened.
So, this step is just
a blanching stage.
I'm not worrying about getting
the outside crispy yet.
So, there are a lot of potato
farms in this region
and actually this farm used to be a potato
farm until it was a sugar beet farm.
Of course we had
to add them to the menu.
I'm gonna test to see if
they're cooked through.
So, I'll just cut
through with a spoon,
and if it cuts through easily,
that's how I know that it's blanched.
I'll keep on blanching these
and then stick them all
in the fridge for 30 minutes
while I increase my oil
temperature to 355 degrees.
It's fry time.
My oil is hotter.
My fries are colder. Now
it's time to get these crispy.
So, for the second fry,
I'll gently lower these in.
So, for the second fry,
I'll gently lower these in.
My oil's at 355 degrees. I'll fry
these now for two to three minutes
until they're golden
brown all over.
We actually have a French
fry factory in town.
My favorite thing to do
is drive right by it and...
smell the French fries.
These are looking golden
brown and crispy to me.
I'll remove them from the oil.
Transfer them back
to the wire rack.
And fry up the second
batch now.
Fries are actually
magical in that
Fries are actually
magical in that
if somebody else that you're dining
with orders them from the menu,
they don't have calories.
Mmm. That is some
great French fry color.
They'd be good right now but I'm gonna fry
them a third time to get them extra crispy.
You wanna make sure not
to burn the potatoes.
So, if you leave it in the fryer
for too long, you might burn them.
But if you take them out
and let them cool for a little bit,
you're able to get
them extra crisp.
So, this last fry
is just a few seconds.
So, this last fry
is just a few seconds.
Get them into a big bowl.
These look stunning.
There's room in my bowl to toss them
around and get them fully coated in salt.
Don't hold back with the salt.
Do I look restaurant official?
[snickers]
Oh, yeah. Little more.
Toss them around to get
them evenly coated.
And I'll sprinkle on some
chopped parsley for color.
Now that looks
like a bowl of fries.
Okay, so a bistro fry has
gotta have aioli or mayo.
Okay, so a bistro fry has
gotta have aioli or mayo.
That's a crispy one.