Girl Meets Farm (2018–…): Season 4, Episode 4 - Midwest Oktoberfest - full transcript

I'm hosting oktoberfest
in the midwest...

Cheers!

...And making all of my
favorite german-inspired dishes,

starting with soft pretzels
two ways --

salty with beer cheese
and sweet with cinnamon sugar.

The ultimate
crispy chicken schnitzel...

Bet you can't guess which hand
is my bread-crumbing hand.

A mustardy german potato salad
loaded with bacon.

My friends are gonna love this.

And a beautiful braised
red cabbage.

Wunderbar!



oh, yah. Mmm!

Hey! This is me -- molly yeh.

I'm a cookbook author
and food blogger.

this is my husband, nick.

This is our new addition...

And this is our home,

our farm on the
north dakota/minnesota border,

the place where I eat,
sleep, and breathe food.

these look like a party.

My food is a delicious mix

of my chinese and jewish
heritage

and a taste of the midwest.

nick and I are hosting
oktoberfest dinner.

I'm so excited.



Normally, our
friend kristen hosts,

but this year,
it's at our house,

and I can't wait
because I have loved german food

for as long as I can remember.

So, you definitely
have to have pretzels

at an oktoberfest party,

and I have a way of turning
almost any dough into a pretzel,

giving it
that beautiful brown color

and unique, malty flavor.

And I'm using a store-bought
crescent dough here.

I'm making two pretzels,

a salty pretzel
with beer cheese,

and for dessert, a sweet pretzel

with cinnamon sugar
and vanilla glaze.

And now for my shapes,
I'm gonna cut one-inch strips.

okay.

Now, these strips are gonna be
for my savory pretzels,

and then I'll cut some more
strips for my sweet ones.

Okay, so,
for my savory pretzels,

I'm gonna twist them around
so it looks nice and pretty

and then loop them around
and make a circle like that.

And I'll just place them
on my sheet tray,

which I've lined with parchment
so they don't stick.

And with this pretzel trick,
you can use any kind of dough.

I'm using
store-bought crescent dough,

but you could use
french bread dough,

you could use biscuit dough.

My favorite is using
homemade challah dough

because it's really sweet
and eggy and rich.

I got into pretzeling
when I first moved to town.

I didn't have any friends,
so I just started experimenting

with different things
that you could pretzel.

But I realized
that I only really wanted

to pretzel fluffy doughs.

Okay, these are gonna be
my savory pretzels,

and now I'm gonna make
little rectangles

for my sweet pretzels,
about 1x2.

It's great when I have the time
to make a homemade challah dough

and then pretzel that,

but I have a lot of other stuff
to prep for my party tonight,

so I'm using
a store-bought dough today.

I'm just distributing these
over my pan,

giving them a little bit
of breathing room.

Okay, I have my sweet and my
savory pretzels all shaped,

and now they're ready
for the next step.

I'm gonna give them a bath.

I have baking soda that has been
baking for an hour at 250.

This step strengthens
the alkaline solution

that gives pretzels their malty
flavor and golden-brown color.

And now this solution
that I'm about to make
could irritate my skin,

so I'm gonna put on some gloves.

I'm gonna add two cups
of water to my baking soda.

And then I'm gonna whisk it
as best I can.

Okay.
I'm ready to soak.

I'll grab my pan
with some paper towels

to help dry these off.

Okay, I'll gently lower these
into the bath,

and they are gonna soak

for two to three minutes
on each side.

okay, and then I'm gonna gently
flip these guys over.

And now I am ready to transfer
to the paper towel

so that they can dry.

and once they've had
a moment to dry,

I can transfer them back
to my baking sheet.

and I'm spacing them apart

so that they have
enough room to rise.

okay, I'm gonna
move these aside,

and now I'm gonna go on
to my sweet pretzels.

And what's also fun

is you could change up
the toppings of your pretzels

and add, like,
everything bagel topping

or salt or different seeds.

I'm just spreading these out,
making sure they all get soaked,

and then I'm gonna
flip them over.

My friend kristen,
who's coming tonight,

makes a great pretzel,

so I'm hoping she likes mine.

Alright.
These are ready to dry off.

okay. Now these go back
onto the parchment paper.

okay.

Now all of these
are gonna get an egg wash,

which will make them shiny,

and it'll also help
the toppings stick.

now, on the savory pretzels,

I'm gonna add
a sprinkle of flaky salt.

They add great crunch.

And on my sweet squares,

I'm gonna add
some cinnamon sugar.

now these are ready to bake.

I'll stick them in the oven
at 375.

The sweet pretzels will take
8 to 10 minutes,

and the savory ones
will take around 15.

coming up...

I'm getting these pretzels ready
for prime time

with some delicious cheesy
and sweet dips.

Oh, yeah.

Then nick and I are teaming up

to pound out the most
delicious chicken schnitzel.

Yeah, this is a beautiful
schnitzel.

While my pretzels
are in the oven,

I'll get started
on my beer cheese dip.

So, this is my version

of a traditional
bavarian beer cheese.

I'm gonna start
by dicing up an onion.

This style of beer cheese
is different

than what you would
typically find in america.

It's creamier, and the cheese
doesn't actually get melted.

I just throw all the ingredients
into the food processor

and blend it right up.

And next, I'm gonna chop up
a wheel of brie to add.

It's super mild and just
the slightest bit funky.

I love it in this.

I'm gonna throw this
into my food processor.

And now I'm gonna chop up
some chives.

I'm gonna reserve half of
them for sprinkling on top

because it'll look
really pretty.

I'll make this even more buttery
with 1/2 cup of butter,

and this has been softened,

and then 1/4 cup
of heavy cream.

This will add nice creaminess
and richness.

And now I'll 1/4 cup
of wheat beer,

which will add
really nice bitterness

and a little bit
of citrusy sweetness.

Okay, this is reminding me

of the first time
I ever had beer,

which was in germany.

I was there on a trip
with my dad,

and it was during oktoberfest,

and I had
my first sip of beer there.

I would have been a teenager.

And it was so gross.

I think it was just a little
too soon to start on the beer.

Now I'm gonna season this
with a teaspoon of paprika --

paprika will add smokiness
and a nice depth of flavor --

and 1/2 teaspoon
of ground caraway seeds.

They add a nice woody note.

Some salt and pepper,

and then I'll blend it on up.

I'm so excited to eat this.

okay, I have to sneak a taste

to make sure
all the seasonings are correct.

Mmm!
It's so smooth and creamy.

I love that mild brie flavor.

Okay, I'm gonna plate this

and then get started
on my vanilla glaze

for my sweet pretzels.

I'll do a nice rustic swoop,

and then I'll sprinkle the top
with chives

and a little bit of paprika.

This looks rustic and beautiful.

Onto my vanilla glaze.

so, this is just a simple
powdered sugar and milk glaze

that's gonna go perfectly
with my cinnamon sugar pretzels.

I'll start with a big scoop
of powdered sugar.

I'll add a splash of cream,

or you could also add milk
or even water,

and a little splash of vanilla.

And I'll mix it up
until it's smooth

and the consistency
that I want it to be.

If I need to add more
heavy cream to make it thinner

or more powdered sugar
to make it thicker,

I can just adjust as I go.

Okay.
My glaze looks great.

I'm gonna pour it
into my serving bowl.

I am smelling those pretzels.

I'm gonna check on them
in the oven now.

These look awesome.

They're golden brown,

and I can see the flecks of salt
on the savory ones.

To plate my savory pretzels,

I have a paper towel
thing here

that I'm just gonna
stack them up on.

So I can just set this
in the middle of the table.

Okay, now,
for my sweet pretzels,

I'll just put them
on this plate.

These look so good.

I have to try them.

Mm-mm-mmm.

that little bit of funkiness
in the brie

is just the perfect pairing
with the pretzel.

Okay. I'm gonna try
a sweet one now.

Oh, yeah.

The cinnamon and vanilla
are so great

with the pretzel flavor.

My friends
are gonna love these.

my braised red cabbage

is such a vibrant
and colorful side dish.

It's got a mild sweetness
and a slight tang

that'll wake up your taste buds.

This is a one-pot situation.

I'm just gonna dump
a bunch of stuff in a pan

and let it braise
and make the house smell good.

Are you ready?
Let's do this.

Add 3 tablespoons of butter
to a saucepan over medium heat,

add a thinly sliced onion,

some kosher salt,

a teaspoon of caraway seeds,

and freshly ground black pepper.

Oh, I'm already smelling
the caraway and the butter.

So good.

Add a thinly sliced
small head of red cabbage,

a diced granny smith apple,

a cup of chicken stock...

And 1/4 cup
of apple cider vinegar,

which adds great acidity.

A tablespoon of sugar punches up
the sweetness of the apple.

And then another
couple of teaspoons of salt...

And black pepper...

And then I'll gently toss it
to combine.

This is just a beautiful
combination of flavors.

Mmm. I'm smelling
that apple cider vinegar.

Okay.
I'm gonna cover this.

I'm gonna let it braise
for about 20 minutes

until the liquid has reduced.

It's gonna be so good.

I need to take a look
at my braised cabbage.

Oh, it's beautiful.

Look at that purple color!

Now, to finish this off,
I'm gonna chop up some dill.

It's gonna add
a really nice green color

and some grassiness.

Okay, I'll just add this in.

Wow.
That is a pretty dish.

Okay,
I'm gonna turn the heat off

and just toss this to combine.

I have to have a taste.

mm. Mmm!

All the flavors
really come together nicely.

It's salty, it's a little sour,
it's a little sweet,

then the cabbage is soft,
but it still has a nice bite.

Okay.
I'm gonna plate this up.

oh, my gosh,
this is gonna be the prettiest

and most delicious side dish
to my schnitzel.

I'm gonna put
some dill on top, too,

'cause that'll be pretty.

This meal is coming together.

I can't wait for my friends
to get here.

They're going to love it
for our midwest oktoberfest.

Next, I'm using
the power of teamwork

to whip up some crunchy
chicken schnitzel.

And you're not gonna
want to miss

my quick and savory
german potato salad.

a few friends
are coming over

for an oktoberfest party
on the farm,

so I am making one of my
top-five favorite foods

with one of my top-five
favorite people.

Thanks.

okay, so,
my chicken schnitzel

is juicy fried chicken
that's pounded extra thin

so it's really,
really crispy.

Gonna be awesome.
Okay.

So, we are pounding out
our chicken breast

so that it's really thin
so that it gets extra crispy.

Once it's about,
like, 1/4 inch --

you just want it
as thin as possible
without it breaking.

So once
it's that thin,

then we can get on
to the breading.

okay, these are
pounded perfectly.

Let's get on
to breading.

okay. We're gonna set up
a dredging station.

We're gonna get flour
in this pan...

And then you want to crack
four eggs into this pan.

Okay.

okay, so, the chicken
is going to get coated in flour,

dunked in egg,

and then coated
in panko bread crumbs,

which will make it
really, really crunchy.

Do you want to whip up the eggs
with a splash of water?

That just makes it
easier to coat.

And then I'm just gonna add
some paprika to the bread crumbs

and then season them
with salt and pepper.

It's gonna be so good.

schnitzel is the perfect
celebration food.

It's the best thing to eat
after a great day,

but it's also
what you eat

if you've had a bad day
and you need to feel better.

We had schnitzel
on our honeymoon.

Oh, yeah.

We thought
we could ski in the alps

after growing up skiing
in minnesota and wisconsin.

False.
We couldn't ski.

And so I just sat
on top of a mountain

eating schnitzel.

And then we rode
the ski lift down.

And then we rode
the ski lift down.

Total success.

We couldn't even
ski back down.

Okay, we've got our breading
station set up.

We've got flour, egg,
and breadcrumbs,

and now we're just gonna
dunk the chicken

in these three things
in that order.

So, we just take
a piece of chicken

and get it evenly coated
in the flour.

And this is gonna help
the egg stick.

And just make sure
that it's all covered in the egg

because that is gonna help
the crunchy breadcrumbs stick.

And we want maximum
bread crumb adherence.

Yes.
Exactly.

So, can I get rolling
on the next one?

Yes. Absolutely.

Just have one hand
designated for the egg

and then one hand
that's designated

for the flour
and bread crumbs.

Okay.
This one is ready to fry.

I have some flavorless oil
heating up on the stove,

and I'm gonna gently
transfer it right in here.

And these are
getting fried at 360

for a couple of minutes
on each side

until they're golden brown.

How are you doing here?

I think I forgot about the whole
"one hand for the egg" thing.

It's okay.

We have many more
schnitzels to make.

It'll taste the same.
Yes.

Can we flip it?

Okay, look at this gorgeous
golden color.

Oh, my gosh.

That looks good.
Yeah.

This is
a beautiful schnitzel.

Okay, I'm gonna transfer it
to a wire rack,

and this is going to
keep it crispy.

And then I'm just
gonna sprinkle it

with a little
salt and pepper.

and now these can hold
in a warm oven

so that they stay hot
until our friends arrive.

Enough chatting.
Let's get frying.

Gently.

bet you can't guess which hand
is my bread-crumbing hand.

You just keep on breading,
and I will keep frying.

Okay.

It's important
not to overcrowd the pan.

Otherwise, it'll drop
the temperature of the oil,

and we don't want that

because then the oil
will soak into the breading

and make it taste oily.

And I keep my thermometer
clipped to the side of the pan

so that I can make sure

that the oil is hot enough
at all times.

All this schnitzel making's

kind of getting me thirsty,
though.

You know what would go
really well with this?
No.

Growler of beer.

Definitely.

Duh.
Come on.

I'm going to get
some beer.
Thanks.

I'll keep on frying these
in batches,

and then I'll hold these
in the oven at 250

to keep them crispy
until my friends get here.

Still to come,

store-bought potato salad's
days are numbered

because you're gonna love
my quick and easy german version

that's loaded with bacon.

thank you.
Yeah. Sweet.

Alright. See ya.
Cheers. Thanks.

Our friends are coming over
for a delicious meal

to celebrate oktoberfest,

and I am making
my german potato salad.

So, I have some yukon gold
potatoes here

that I've boiled and drained,

and I have some bacon here
that I'm crisping up in my pan.

I'm just gonna transfer this
to a plate

that I've lined
with a paper towel

to drain any excess grease.

mmm.
It smells like bacon in here.

Okay, and now I'm keeping
the bacon fat in my pan

because I'm gonna use that
to cook a chopped shallot.

I'll chop these up finely.

I'll add the shallot to my pan
with the bacon fat.

I'm gonna let these cook
for about five to seven minutes

until they're soft.

And meanwhile, I'll gather
the rest of my ingredients.

I've got some scallions,

which will add
a nice pop of freshness,

stone-ground mustard will add
good texture

and mustardy zingyness,

and I love adding

a couple of tablespoons of
pickle brine to my potato salad

just for some more personality
and acidity.

Now, to my pan, I'm gonna add
a cup of chicken stock

and then 1/2 cup
of apple cider vinegar.

And vinegar
is a signature ingredient

to german potato salad.

It's really rich,

but because it has all of
the acidity of the vinegar,

it doesn't taste too heavy.

And then I'm also gonna add
1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar

and then 2 tablespoons
of stone-ground mustard,

2 tablespoons of pickle brine.

And I love adding pickle brine
to this potato salad

because it's like
getting more vinegar,

but then you also have
pickley flavor,

and it all goes
so well together.

A few nice turns of pepper.

Now I'll whisk it together,
and then I'm gonna let it reduce

while I chop up my bacon,
scallions, and parsley.

I'll chop this
into bite-size bits.

mm. I should probably taste this
just to make sure it's okay.

That's crunchy enough.

I'll chop up my scallions.
These will add beautiful color.

And lastly, some parsley.

I'm just gonna load up
on the greenery in this salad.

oh. My dressing
is looking great.

It has thickened slightly,
and it's reduced.

I'm ready to add my potatoes.

And these have been boiled
in very salty water.

And then I'll also add in

my bacon, scallions,
and parsley.

I'm gonna fold
everything together.

I want to make sure
that all the potatoes

are coated in the dressing,

and then I'm actually
just gonna serve it

straight from this dish.

I believe it is time for me
to take a taste of this.

mmm! My friends
are gonna love this.

Okay.
Let's finish off that schnitzel.

oh, my.

These look incredible.

They are golden and crispy.

I cannot wait to eat these.

For the finishing touch,

I'll sprinkle them
with some parsley.

And now schnitzel needs
a fresh squeeze of lemon,

so I'm gonna garnish
with some lemon wedges.

It adds necessary brightness
to a piece of fried chicken.

I bet nick is outside already,
pouring some beers.

I'm gonna grab my bites
and take them out,

and we are going to eat.

Uh...
Yeah, what was
that joke again, nick?

What?

oh, my god.

I thought I was
among friends!

happy oktoberfest,
everybody.

- Yay!
- Dig in.

- Wonderful.
- Whoo!

Nick and I
made schnitzel.

-Wow!
-Chef nick in the house.

-Yeah. Alright. You know --
-let's schnit up over here.

Yeah, I'm gonna need
some of that potato salad...

-Oh, yeah.
-...For sure.

- oh, wow.
-Ooh.

saucy one. Ehh.

I thought
you wanted a lot of dip.

Wunderbar!

does this live up
to your oktoberfest?

I mean...

I guess so.

Cheers!

Good going,
picking the beer.