Soft Pretzels, Cheddar-Beer Dip and Potato-Leek Soup

My next set of recipes is perfect for this time of year. A little something for the parents, a little something for the kids and a lot of something that has to do with fall.

I had the pleasure of seeing my alma mater take down a big rival in football yesterday (Go Spiders!). We hosted a tailgate, with two other couples, that was attended by 50, maybe 60, people, ages ranging from newborn to 50 something. It was sunny and 70 degrees and all in all, a perfect day. The husbands wanted to be in charge of this one which was fine by me. The theme they settled on: Oktoberfest. German beer, brats, and German chocolate. Well, not exactly German chocolate-more like American chocolate, and all different kinds. Pretty much a giant Halloween sampler. They don’t get to do the shopping often so they are literally like kids in a candy store when presented with temptation. Everyone loved what they bought so they did well. As for my contribution to the workload, naturally I offered to make whatever they wanted. It had to be easy to serve and of course, within the theme.

The first I came up with, which is one of my favorite fall snacks, was homemade pretzels. I typically come up with my own recipes but like everyone else who cooks, when I find a good one I don’t make changes, or at least not many! The one I have used, time and time again, is by Alton Brown. His recipe makes 8 big knotted pretzels which wouldn’t work very well for a crowd because I would have to make ten times the recipe. My smart husband said, “Why don’t you make pretzel bites?” So simple. I doubled the recipe, and 200 bites later, I was all set. Kids and adults both gobbled them up.

I usually make a dipping sauce to go with the pretzels that is quick and easy and always good-I mix equal parts mayonnaise and whole grain mustard and then stir in a little honey. If I want a kick, I add a little Dijon. It’s also a great spread for sandwiches if there are leftovers. Although that one is safe and easy, I felt like for a themed tailgate, I needed to step it up a notch so I created something that any man would love: a beer béchamel with sharp cheddar. It’s like a Frenchman meets a German lady in a bar in Wisconsin. What exactly is a beer béchamel with sharp cheddar? Translation: Cheddar Beer Dip. It was fantastic with the pretzels.

Another fall favorite of mine is Potato Soup. It’s actually Potato-LEEK Soup which is not exactly German but I was sure nobody would notice. It is derived from a very classic recipe that I learned in school. The nice thing about it is you can apply the technique to many different kinds of soup. I thought I would share the recipe since it was such a big hit at the tailgate.

Bon appétit!


***The following recipe for Homemade Soft Pretzels was borrowed from the Food Network website. This is what I changed to make the pretzels crowd friendly:
 -Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
-Roll each of the 8 dough pieces into 15" ropes and cut into 1" pieces. Boil in the same way and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until dark golden brown.

Homemade Soft PretzelsRecipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2007

 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
• 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
• Vegetable oil, for pan
• 10 cups water
• 2/3 cup baking soda
• 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
• Pretzel salt

Directions

Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.
Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.
In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.
Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

©Television Food Network G.P.
All Rights Reserved.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

Cheddar-Beer Dipping Sauce

Makes Around 3 Cups

 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

12-ounce bottle heavy beer

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 cups shredded sharp cheddar

 

Equipment:

Small saucepan

Small whisk

 

Procedure:

-Make a roux (pronounced: rue): Place the butter in the saucepan and then turn up the heat to medium. Once melted, whisk in flour. Cook for 1 minute (will be pale in color).

 

-Add beer, whisking to combine. Whisk occasionally, until the mixture begins to simmer and thicken, around 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the cheese and mustard. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve warm.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Potato-Leek Soup

Serves 6-8

*Gluten Free*

 

Ingredients:

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 small or 2 large leeks

2 quarts gluten-free, low-sodium chicken broth or stock

1 pound potato

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons chopped herbs such as chives, chervil or tarragon (optional)

Sour cream or crème fraiche for serving (optional)

Equipment:

Cutting board

Chef's knife

Wooden spoon

Peeler

Immersion Blender or regular blender

 

Procedure:

-Slice and clean leeks (Technique: Hold root end of leek.  Over a trash can or sink, with a large chef’s knife, hack off the dark green parts. It is as if you are shaving them off in a downward motion, turning the leek as you circle around it. This will preserve the light green part underneath. If you just chop off the dark green part in one cut, you will lose everything underneath. Discard dark green leaves and slice the leek in half, lengthwise, going right through the middle of the root so it stays intact. Slice leek from the opposite end of the root, working your way toward the root. Place all slices in a large bowl. Fill with cold water, swish leeks around with your hand to release the dirt and scoop out the leeks, placing them into another large bowl. The dirt will remain at the bottom of the bowl so rinse the bowl out before using again. Repeat 1-2 more times, until you get a dirt-free bowl.) Place leeks in a strainer and shake dry. *Do not pour leeks out into a strainer because if there is dirt at the bottom of the bowl it will go with the leeks*.

-Heat large pot over medium heat.  Add oil when hot.

 

 

-Add onions and leeks and stir occasionally until the leeks are very limp and have shrunk down, around 30 minutes.

 

-Pour in broth or stock and increase heat to medium-high. Once it comes to a boil, immediately reduce heat to a simmer (medium or medium-low).

 

-Once the broth or stock is in the pot, peel the potato and cut it into chunks. (Technique: It is important to wait because the potato will discolor if it is not in a liquid. If you must peel and/or cut it earlier, place it in a bowl of cold water to keep it white.)

-Cook until the potato pieces are very soft and will mash apart easily when a wooden spoon presses them against the pot, around 45 minutes.

 

-Purée with an immersion blender or place in a regular blender in batches (Technique: DO NOT fill a blender with a HOT liquid more than ¾’s because the pressure will make the top explode and can result in burns. This is kind of important!)

-Season with salt and pepper and add herbs if using. Ladle into bowl, dollop with sour cream or crème fraiche, if using, and serve.