Oktoberfest food - part 2

Savory foods edition. These are not health foods! Liberal amounts of butter were used. But oh so delicious! Good for a once a year "welcome fall!" splurge.

Chicken Schnitzel

serves 6

3 pounds boneless chicken breasts

1/2 stick of butter

1 cup flour
1/4 cup corn starch
2 teaspoons paprika

3 eggs
2 tablespoons water

2 cups bread crumbs
2 teaspoons paprika
1/4 cup parmesan
1 teaspoon each salt and pepper

1. Split any thick breasts lengthwise so that you have two flat pieces. Pound all chicken breasts with a mallet or empty pot to flatten them.
2. Get out three large dishes (pie pans work great, or you can use wide bowls). In one mix together the flour, cornstarch, and 2 teaspoons paprika; in another, whisk the eggs and water; in a third, combine the bread crumbs, remaining paprika, parmesan, salt and pepper.
   
   
3. Heat about 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat in a large saucepan.
   

   

   this is more than 1 tablespoon. it's fiiiiiine.

   
   Dip a piece of chicken first in the flour mixture, then in the eggs, and finally in the bread crumbs. Place in the pan. Repeat until the pan has a full layer of chicken.
4. Cook chicken until golden brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes, then flip and cook until cooked through, another 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate, add another tablespoon of butter, and repeat until chicken is gone.

I didn't serve this with a sauce (it's really delicious and juicy straight out of the pan), but you can whip up a quick sauce by combining plain tomato sauce, sour cream, paprika, salt, and pepper and heating over low heat.

If you have leftovers, reheat and serve over a green salad with honey mustard for a slightly healthier twist. Watch out, though. The chicken starts to get tough after a reheat or two.

the ONLY shot I got of finished schnitzel, hidden amidst the cake cutting

Roasted Potatoes

serves 8-10

4 pounds of red or yellow new potatoes

1 large yellow onion

1/2 to 1 stick of butter (to taste), melted

1 tablespoon caraway seeds (or more to taste)

salt & pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400º.
2. Dice the potatoes and onion into approximately 1" pieces.
3. Butter a sheet tray (or two), spread the veggies out, and drizzle with melted butter. Add seasoning and toss together.
4. Bake for about 40 minutes, stirring halfway through, until potatoes are soft and browning and onions begin to caramelize. Let cool for a couple of minutes, then serve!

raw veggies with butter, salt, and pepper

Spaetzle

serves 2-3
source: Food Network

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon each salt and pepper
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup finely chopped parsley
3 tablespoons butter

1. Combine the flour, nutmeg, salt and pepper. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk, then add to the dry ingredients. Mix until most of the lumps have dissolved, then stir in half of the parsley.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Use a spaetzle maker or a slotted spoon (I have had much, much better luck with the spaetzle maker and think this one is totally worth the money) to push about 1/3 of the dough into the boiling water.
3. Boil for 3 to 4 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain in a colander. Repeat with the remaining dough in batches.
4. Heat butter in a large pan over medium-high heat until melted, then add the spaetzle and remaining parsley. Sautee for a couple of minutes until parts of the spaetzle turn golden. Season with salt and pepper before serving.

See also: part 1 - dessert, and a party overview