Northeasterners hold many autumn traditions close to their hearts. We love apple picking and pumpkin carving with family, as well as leaf-peeping and decorating with friends. Fall festivals too are cherished, and there are few that are as anticipated as Oktoberfest.
It’s the German celebration that originally commemorated the marriage of King Louis I to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. Today, folks look forward to the festivities, which often include cold beer and fare like sausages and pretzels. While those refreshments are great, why not showcase more German delights at your get-together? Below are recipes for two delicious bites, German dumplings and wienerschnitzel, that you can make in your own kitchen and serve alongside a couple of cold brews. Prost!
German Dumplings
Yields 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs. russet potatoes
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 2 cups fresh bread cubes
- 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg, or to taste
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbs. snipped fresh chives, or to taste
Directions
Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and let cool until easily handled.
While the potatoes are cooling, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add bread cubes; cook and stir until golden brown and crunchy, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and use a slotted spoon to transfer croutons to a bowl. Reserve browned butter in the pan.
Peel potatoes and place into a large bowl. Mash and season with nutmeg, cayenne, salt and pepper. Add eggs and mash until combined. Stir in flour just until incorporated; do not overmix.
Bring a pot of salted water to a simmer. Dampen your hands with water and scoop a spoonful of dough onto your palm. Shape dough into a circle, make a light indentation in the center, and place 2 or 3 croutons inside. Pull dough around croutons to seal and roll into a smooth ball. Repeat to make seven more dumplings.
Use a large spoon to lower dumplings, one at a time, into the simmering water. Cook until they float to the top, 1 to 2 minutes. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Flip dumplings and continue to cook until puffed and cooked through, about 10 minutes more.
Transfer dumplings to a serving plate and drizzle with reserved browned butter. Crumble remaining croutons over top and garnish with chives. Let dumplings firm up slightly before serving, about 10 minutes.
Wienerschnitzel
Yields 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs. veal cutlets
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 3 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 Tbs. milk
- 1 tsp. minced parsley
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- 1 cup dry breadcrumbs
- 6 Tbs. butter
- 4 slices lemon
Directions
Place veal cutlets between 2 sheets of heavy plastic on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound cutlets with the smooth side of a meat mallet to a 1/4-inch thickness. Dip cutlets in flour to coat; shake off excess.
Beat eggs, Parmesan cheese, milk, parsley, salt, pepper and nutmeg together in a shallow bowl until combined. Place bread crumbs on a plate.
Dip each cutlet into the egg mixture, then press in bread crumbs to coat. Place coated cutlets on a plate and refrigerate for 1 hour to overnight.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook breaded cutlets in butter until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer cutlets to a serving platter and pour pan juices over them. Garnish with lemon slices.
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