So, let’s just pretend we’re sat in a massive tent in Munich, the oompah band are banging out a few classics and the beer is flowing nicely (we don’t have to pretend on that last one!) We’re going to need some grub to get that true, authentic Oktoberfest experience. On our trips to Munich we found that it would be almost criminal not to include Pretzels (Brez'n if you want to show off) and proper Bavarian style roast chicken. So if you are looking to cook up a storm, we’ve got you covered
Pretzels
Ingredients
- 300g strong white bread flour
- 1tsp fast action dried yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 200ml lukewarm water
- 1 egg beaten with 1tbsp water, to glaze
- Coarse sea salt (if you want to be fancy!)
If you are looking for the perfect snack to go alongside those authentic Oktoberfest beers, I’ve got you covered. Individually portioned bread knots... or as they are more commonly known pretzels!
Its a pretty straight forward recipe, and if they come out a bit oddly shaped we will chalk that one down to individualism and your angsty distaste towards the establishment (we’re so edgy!)
Follow the steps below and your knots will be ready to soak up that german beer!
1. Pop the flour, yeast and table salt into a mixing bowl and pour the water in (you will kill the yeast if its too hot so lukewarm will do the trick!) And get stuck in with your hands. Mix it up and form a dough. If its too dry, top it up with some water and sort it out!
2. Flour a surface (somewhere big enough for you to do your thing) and knead that ball of dough for 10 minutes until its smooth and elasticy. Kneads must and all that.
3. Let it grow - after you’ve kneaded the dough, chuck it into a clean bowl, cover it with clingfilm and leave it for an hour and a half. It will double in size. (This still confuses and scares me in equal measure!)
4. Next, stick some baking paper down on a baking tray (or two, depends how big you want your pretzels!) and pop them into an oven at 200°C/180°C fan to pre-heat.
5. Divide the dough into 25-30 even balls, and roll them into long sausage shapes (20 - 30cm). Now comes the knotty bit, take each end of the dough sausage, and wrap them around each other, then secure with a bit of egg wash. This is where the coarse sea salt comes in, if you want to be fancy, dust some over the top of each pretzel!
6. Time to bake! Stick them in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes and Roberts your mother’s brother, you’ve got yourself the perfect snack to go alongside those amazing festbiers!
P.s. I like to eat my pretzels with a bit of mustard for dipping. I know it’s a celebration of all things German, but you can’t beat good old English mustard to add a bit of fire to the party!
Bavarian Roast Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- 1 pinch ground pepper
- 1/4 tsp majoram
- 1 pinch ground rosemary
- 2 tbsp butter
There isn’t much work involved in getting a good Bavarian Roast Chicken knocked up, just a few bits and bobs from the spice rack and a chicken (obviously) and you are on your way to hot poultry goodness!
Top Tip - Preheat your oven to 170°C
1. Sounds odd, but rinse your chicken inside and out. Give it a bath, get it all cleaned out, and then towel dry thoroughly (Pretty important you dry it so you get that lovely crispy skin on there)
2. Chuck all of the herbs & spices together (I like to grind them down in the pestle and mortar, middle class, I know!) and do your best masseuse impression and rub the chicken inside and out with the mixture. Barry White on Spotify is optional, but I swear it makes the chicken taste better!
3. I love butter, my cholesterol can tell you this, so dot it around the top of the chicken before you put it in to the oven at 170°C for an hour - Slap the bird into a roasting pan, chuck it in the oven and make sure you keep basting it in the pan juices every 20 minutes.
4. Always make sure your chicken has reached an internal temperature of 73°C!!! We don’t want you getting food poisoning!
PROST!
