Octoberfest

Oktoberfest originated in Munich and that city is where the largest celebration takes place each year (seven million revelers) sometimes for a month or more starting in late September and going until everyone is “fested out” I suppose. It was begun in 1810 as a wedding party for Bavaria’s Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. But like many other festivals centering on food, drink and merriment, it is now celebrated all over the world. There is even one held in the state of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil; perhaps an unlikely location, but there are many German immigrants and their descendents living there.


I don’t see any reason why Red Wing should be left out of all this festivity and fun, as well as delicious German food and great beer. After all the town is full of visitors here for the leaf-peeping and the great art fair this weekend, perhaps you should bring in a houseful of your friends and do an old-fashioned Oktoberfest dinner party.

Decorations and libations for an Oktoberfest are easy: all you need are funny Alpine hats with what looks like a huge shaving brush sticking up at the back. Have genuine beer steins for clinking, pass around some large pretzels with mustard, add some oompah music and you’re all set. Casual and jolly is the theme.

But what about the menu? Here’s one that is festive, not too difficult and makes use of the seasonal foods we all love.

Oktoberfest for 10

Clear Beef broth
Mixed greens salad with honey-mustard dressing
German Sausages with Sauerkraut and Apples
Kartoffelnudeln
Sourdough Rye Bread with caraway
Ginger-Pear Cake

German Sausages with Sauerkraut and Apples

2 pounds smoked ham hocks
1 pound fully cooked bratwurst
8 ounces thick-sliced bacon
2 pounds fully cooked Metwurst (can substitute Kielbasa)
1 pound fully cooked knockwurst
2 large onions, chopped
2 tsp. juniper berries (optional)
2 tsp. whole black peppercorns
8 whole cloves
6 whole allspice
3 bay leaves
3 red apples, any tart and crisp variety, unpeeled, cored
2 2-pound jars sauerkraut, squeezed dry
2 cups dry white wine
Assorted mustards
Prepared horseradish

Cover ham hocks by 2” of water in large saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 2 hours or until meat is very tender. Transfer to bowl. Boil broth until reduced to 2 cups about 15 minutes. Remove meat from bones; discard bones. Hold meat in bowl.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a heavy large pot (Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add bratwurst and bacon. Sauté until bacon is crisp and bratwurst is brown, about 10 minutes. Put in bowl with hock meat.

Add onions, spices and bay leaves to same pot. Sauté until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Add apples cut into 2-inch pieces; sauté about 2 minutes. Mix in sauerkraut. Add all meats cut into 2” diagonal slices. Press to submerge. Add reserved broth and wine. Boil 10 minutes. Cover and bake for l ½ hours. Arrange sauerkraut and meats on platter, surround with Kartoffelnudeln. Serve with mustards and horseradish.

Kartoffelnudeln

3 ½ pounds boiling potatoes, peeled and quartered
½ cup butter
2 ½ cups chopped onions
1 Tbsp snipped fresh chives
Salt and freshly ground pepper
5 eggs
7 Tbsp water
2 tsp salt
3 and three-fourths cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
Chopped fresh parsley
1 cup whipping cream

Cook potatoes in boiling salted water until fork tender. Drain; return potatoes to saucepan. Set over low heat and shake to dry potatoes. Work through ricer into medium bowl. Melt butter in large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until very brown and crisp, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes. Stir in potatoes and chives. Season with salt and pepper. Cool filling.

Beat eggs, water and salt to blend. Stir in enough flour to make firm dough. Knead noodle dough until smooth. Cover and let stand 30 minutes. Divide dough in half. Knead 1 piece lightly. Roll out on lightly floured surface to 15x20-inch rectangle. Using fluted pastry cutter cut out 5-inch squares. Repeat with remaining dough. Mound filling in center of each square, using about 2 Tbsp. for each. Moisten dough edges with water. Bring four corners into center; pinch seams to seal. Crease seams to seal dumplings completely.

Add oil to large pot of water. Bring to boil. Add 6 to 8 dumplings, reduce heat and simmer until dough is cooked, about 20 minutes. Remove, using slotted spoon and drain on kitchen towels. Repeat cooking and draining with remaining dumplings.

Preheat oven to 350. Arrange dumplings in single layer in two baking dishes. Sprinkle with parsley. Pour ½ cup cream in side of each pan. Bake until bubbly, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Ginger-Pear Cake

4 large sweet firm, but ripe pears, peeled, cored, quartered and cut into slices
½ cup (one stick) butter
Three-fourths cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1 and one-fourth cups flour
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
One-fourth tsp salt
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
4 1/2 Tbsp butter, softened
1 large egg
One-third cup applesauce
One-fourth cup molasses
One-third cup flat beer
½ cup whipping cream
One-eighth cup sugar, optional

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 10” round baking pan with cooking spray. Put first ½ cup butter and brown sugar into pan and put into oven until butter melts. Lay pear slices in concentric circles on top of melted butter-sugar mixture.

Combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. Place second brown sugar and butter amounts into a large bowl and beat with mixer on medium-high speed for 3 minutes. Add egg and beat well. Beat in applesauce and molasses (batter may look somewhat curdled). Reduce mixing speed to low. Add one-third of the flour mixture, and beat just until blended. Repeat procedure with remaining flour mixture. Add beer and beat just until combined. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Invert cake onto large plate. Whip cream until soft peaks form. Add sugar or not as you wish. Continue beating until thick. Serve cake warm or room temperature with whipped cream.