[Molly] I'm hosting Rosh Hashanah dinner
on the farm with some crave worthy Jewish faves.
-Happy New Year. -Happy New Year, sweetheart.
[Molly] Like my savory halva donuts
stuffed with squash jam and herby goat cheese.
[Jody] Oh, yeah. How pretty is that?
[Molly] Tender harissa preserved lemon brisket.
That is a juicy pile of meat.
Schmaltzy fried potatoes on the side.
And for dessert, my moist honey whiskey cake
cloaked in sugary glaze is what you need
for a sweet New Year.
Happy Rosh Hashanah.
Look at these beauties.
Hey, this is me, Molly Yeh.
This is my husband, Nick.
This is our growing family
and this is our farm on the North Dakota-Minnesota border,
the place where I eat, sleep and breathe food.
It's Rosh Hashanah,
so I'm putting together
a celebratory feast for the fam.
For a showstopping appetizer to the main event,
I am making my halva donuts
with squashed jam and herby goat cheese.
They are fluffy and puffy, filled with coziness
and they toe the line between savory and sweet,
which I am all about.
I'll start by making my go to halva dough
which fries up gorgeously into donuts.
I've got four cups of bread flour here in my stand mixer bowl.
And I'll sprinkle in
a third of a cup of potato flour
which holds a ton of moisture
and yields a fluffier, nicer, more luxurious donut.
One and a half teaspoons of kosher salt.
And then I love to add a sprinkle of turmeric
for a gorgeous, golden color.
I feel like that'd be extra festive
for the New Year Rosh Hashanah.
Two and a quarter tea spoons of instant yeast
to help these get super-duper puffy
and then two tablespoons of granulated sugar.
I'll whisk this to combine.
So Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year
and one traditional food to have on Rosh Hashanah
is halva shaped in a circle
because that circular shape represents
the cyclical nature of time,
one year ending and then the next one beginning.
This year, I figured, why not fry it up
into little round halvas.
All right, that's it for my dry ingredients.
I'll get my wet ingredients.
Got one cup of warm water
and I'll combine it with half a cup of neutral oil...
and two eggs.
Halva is a rich dough,
meaning it has eggs and fat and sugar added to it
to make it extra moist and tasty.
Uh, the wet ingredients into my dry ingredients
and then use my spatula to give it a rough mix
before getting it on to my stand mixer.
And then I'll leave this for seven to ten minutes
until it's smooth and slightly sticky.
Halva dough is such a nice smooth dough to work with
and it's a great first yeasted dough too.
It truly is hard to mess up.
This dough is looking smooth.
It's a little bit sticky.
I'll stretch it into a smooth, taut, surface...
and then place it face down
into my bowl with some neutral oil,
turn it back over,
and then cover it up and allow it to rise
until it's doubled in size.
And then I'll stamp out my circles
and let those...
while I get going on my squash jam.
So these donuts are getting two fillings.
They get the creaminess of herby goat cheese
and then the sweet stickiness of squash jam.
I've got a pound of butternut squash
that I've peeled and grated
with the big holes of a box grater
and doing that allows the squash
to break down evenly and also quickly
and I'll season it with one teaspoon
of smoked paprika.
Squash tastes so much better
when it's in the presence of a smoky thing...
and then a quarter teaspoon of ground cardamom
which is floral, it's a little bit like cinnamon.
It's woodsy...
and it's kind of peppery as well.
It's just a very special, delicate flavor.
Add a couple good pinches of kosher salt.
I'll sweeten with two-thirds of a cup of granulated sugar
and then toss it to combine.
It's already smelling good.
I'll cook this now in two parts.
So first, over medium while covered
for 20 to 25 minutes until the squash is soft
and then I'll uncover it,
crank up the heat to high
and cook for another five minutes
so that the sugars can caramelize
and turn this into a jammy consistency.
And while that goes,
I'll go see if I can find my mom
to help me fill the donuts.
-I found my mom -Hi. [chuckles]
She was fingerpainting with Bernie.
-[chuckles] -[Molly] Luckily, she cleaned up.
-I did. -[Molly] Okay.
-I'm gonna put you to work while I fry up the dough. -Okay.
So we have the squash jam here
-Mmm-hmm. -...that is fully clothed.
-This has cardamom and paprika in it -Ooh.
...and some softened herby goat cheese
-so there's two fillings in each donut. -Yeah.
The easiest way to fill the donuts
is by piping them in with piping bags.
-So do you wanna fill up the piping bags of each... -All right.
[Molly] Meanwhile I'm gonna get frying.
So the donuts have risen.
They're so puffy
and I've got a few inches of neutral oil here
heating to 350 degrees.
I'll fry these a few at a time.
These just take a few minutes on each side until they're golden.
Already starting to sizzle.
I made a version of these growing up.
[laughs]
-That came straight from the can. -[Jody] Straight from the can.
-We used to fry them. -They were delicious. Yeah.
They're golden. I'm gonna flip 'em.
[Jody laughs]
-Aren't they good? Yeah. -What?
Tan tada da!
-They're so golden. -Oh!
Those are gorgeous.
It's like a little bit better than the canned biscuit dough donuts.
-They were fun. They were fun. -Yeah. They were.
-And they were delicious. -They were. They were.
And I'll get these out of the oil and onto a wire rack.
-They're so beautiful. I'm speechless. [laughs] -I know. I know.
Those are magnificent.
They're gonna get more magnificent.
-I can't wait. [laughs] -[Molly] Okay.
While they're still warm, I'm gonna roll 'em
-in the sugar -[Jody] Okay.
-Completely coated. -[Molly] I just have a feeling
they're gonna taste every bit as good as they look.
Okay.
-Let's fill. -Okay.
The first thing we'll do
-is create an opening for the filling. -Okay.
-[Molly] Just wiggle it around. -[Jody] Okay.
[Molly] We'll do half jam...
-So stick the piping bag like deep in there. -Okay.
Then fill it up a generous amount
-so that every pipe can get some filling. -Okay.
And then do the same thing right next to that
with the goat cheese.
Oh, I see. On the side of it.
-[Molly] Stick it in. Yeah. -[Jody] Okay.
Stick it next to it and then look,
-you can see both of them. -[Jody] Oh, that's good.
-Tan tana da! -Wow.
That's beautiful.
Okay, just hold that while I make one
-so we can eat them both at the same time. -Okay. [laughs]
[Molly] Squeeze it in around, there we go.
All right, I love that.
[speaking other language]
Holy buckets. [chuckles]
-[Molly] Oh, they're good. Mmm-hmm. -[Jody] That's amazing.
It's like all these different layers of flavor
that just kind of...
-[Molly] It's a journey. It's a journey. -It is. It is.
This is brilliant.
Happy New Year.
Happy New Year, sweetheart.
[munching sounds]
[Molly] Coming up, classic brisket gets a makeover
and it's going to M-E-L-T melt in your mouth.
[Molly] For the juicy star of our Rosh Hashanah feast,
I am making my preserved lemon brisket.
It's truly explosive flavor.
It's a little spicy, a little sweet, pretty bright.
This honestly might be the best brisket I've ever had.
To start, I've got my big hunk of meat here.
It is a five pound brisket
that I'm seasoning all over with kosher salt.
You gotta have brisket at any big Jewish holiday.
And it's always braised,
so it's always cooked in a liquid.
It gets super juicy
and it really just gets better over time
so it's one of those things
that you can prep a day,
even two days in advance,
and then you reheat it for the big meal.
My duck chop in here is heated to medium-high heat.
Add a good drizzle of neutral oil.
Whenever you're braising brisket, you wanna sear it first.
That's gonna enhance the flavor.
And gently lower this in.
I'll let this sear on medium high
for about five minutes per side
until it's golden brown.
Oh, that is the smell of the Jewish holidays.
Smell of briskets, searing and oil.
I love it.
There have been so many times where Rosh Hashanah coincides
with harvest for Nick so he's out on a tractor.
So in order to get him some brisket,
I'll wrap up some tacos
or make him a brisket sandwich.
Although this brisket is so good,
I might do that thing where I hide the leftovers
from Nick and pretend that they don't exist
so that I can eat them all.
Uh, let me peek at the butter, see if this is, um...
Oh, yeah. Just ready.
Yeah, that's a great crisp fat.
I'll let this sear on the other side now
until I get that kind of color all over.
So the thing about brisket is it's so tough
so if you try to eat it before it's ready,
it's not very good. It's too chewy.
You won't really be able to enjoy it.
But if you give it enough time,
it kind of melts down into...
meaty, delicious, melty and boiling end.
Now that it's seared on both sides,
I'll remove it from the pot
and then build my braising liquid.
I've got a finely chopped yellow onion
and some carrots that are cut into larger chunks.
I'll stir this around and I'll allow these veggies to soften.
Onions bathing in brisket juices.
Oh, yeah.
A really good smell's happening here.
The onions are soft.
I'll toss in some garlic cloves
and I will just smash these to release their oils.
And then loads of spices.
I've got some smoked paprika here.
Add a tablespoon of that.
Two teaspoons of crushed red pepper
and then a teaspoon each of chili powder and cumin seeds.
A combination of these spices almost mimics harissa,
that smoky Tunisian pepper paste.
All right, a little teaspoon of slat
and I'll stir this around and allow the spices to toast.
Now that the spices are smelling strong,
I can start to add liquid ingredients.
I've got a can of whole peeled tomatoes
and I like to get the whole tomatoes
and then break them up myself with a spoon.
That way you can get some bigger chunks and smaller chunks.
And then I've got three qualities of sweetness here
that'll be a perfect match to the sour, funky, preserved lemons.
Some pomegranate juice which is fruity.
It's great dark notes.
Quarter cup of molasses.
So cozy.
And then two teaspoons of brown sugar.
And the star of this brisket show, preserved lemon.
So preserved lemon is just lemons and salt
that has mingled for a while
and it's a common ingredient in Moroccan cooking
and I just love it because...
You get lemon flavor
that's a bit more mellow than just a fresh lemon
and you also get funkiness and saltiness.
It's delicious.
I'm adding two tablespoons of this.
You can buy preserved lemons,
you can make them really easily.
I'll stir this around...
and I'll get the brisket back in here.
This looks so good.
I'm nestling it in, fat side on top
so that that fat can soak down into the meat.
It's perfectly...
This is gonna be amazing.
I'll bring this up to a boil now
and then reduce to a simmer, cover it up
and stick it in the oven at 325 degrees
for three to three and a half hours
until it's far tender.
[sighs] It's gonna be a long three to three and a half hours.
Next, the boozy secret to a sweet New Year.
For a sweet start to the New Year,
I'm going with a classic,
but I'm making it boozy.
It's my honey whiskey cake
which is moist, shiny, cozily spiced,
and ready for a good time.
I'll start with a quarter cup of whiskey
which happens to go great with honey.
And I'll combine it with half a cup of honey.
Add one cup of neutral oil,
we'll make this cake super moist.
And then a tablespoon of vanilla
complements all of these flavors.
I'll crack in two eggs.
And whisk this up.
See, you always have honey on Rosh Hashanah
because honey signifies a sweet New Year.
So you might have apples dipped in honey
and commonly you'll have this honey cake
and it'll be sweet, drunk, New Year.
Okay.
That's it for my wet ingredients.
I'll make some of my dry ingredients.
I'm starting with two cups of all-purpose flour.
I'll add one cup of brown sugar,
three quarters of a teaspoon each
of baking soda, baking powder and salt.
And then half a teaspoon of...
and a pinch of ground cardamom
will add some cozy warmth.
Then I'll get this whisk.
This cake truly is moist enough
that left over the next day will still be good.
That's what's fun about all the Jewish holidays,
there's always so much food.
It's like Thanksgiving level feasts.
You get some great leftovers
for the next few days afterwards.
Uh, the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
This cake comes together so quickly.
And then when it's mostly combined,
I'll pour in some lemon ginger tea.
This is a nod to a hot toddy.
Lemon and ginger bring zinginess
and brightness to a pretty robust loaf.
I'll stir this in.
You wanna be careful not to overmix this.
Mix it until it's just combined.
I've got a loaf pan here
that's lined on the bottom inside with parchment paper.
These little wings will help me lift
the loaf out of the pan once it's done baking.
I'll steep in the batter.
Mmm, smells really good.
Before it goes into the oven,
I'll sprinkle some turbinado sugar on top
which will add some sweet, crunchy shininess.
And a pinch of flaky salt so it's extra tasty.
I'll bake this now at 350 degrees
for 60 to 70 minutes
until it's golden
and a toothpick stuck into the center comes out clean.
It's gonna be sweet.
Oh, yeah.
Time to get glazing.
Honey.
Whiskey.
Cream.
Powdered sugar.
Smooth.
It smells like a harvest scented candle in here.
My cake is so warm
and while it's still warm, I'm gonna pour my glaze.
Oh, yeah. How pretty is that?
There are few things more satisfying
than watching glaze drip down the sides
of a loaf cake.
Ah, I almost don't wanna cut into it.
But I'm going to, 'cause this smells too good not to.
Okay, this is how I cut the first piece of a loaf cake.
I cut the ends off and then I get
to a center piece because... Yeah.
And I cut it super, duper thick
and then I cut it in half
so you can go straight to the middle.
I don't waste any time.
Oh, yeah, that's a moist... soft cake. Oh, it's so soft.
Mmm.
Mmm-hmm.
Mmm.
It's so fluffy and flavorful
and that crunch on the top
from the turbinado and the flaky salt
brings it to the next level.
Dang.
This is definitely gonna be a sweet New Year.
[Molly] Still...
my pizzazzy potatoes
get shallow fried in liquid gold
and it's making them crispy and irresistible.
And the most fast brisket you've ever seen
reveals herself.
For a Rosh Hashanah crowd pleaser and a me pleaser,
I'm making my shmaltzy shallow fried potatoes.
They are super crispy, extra salty and levelled up
with loads of lemon and shallot
and dill and scallions.
To start, I'm having some little red potatoes.
Potatoes are super common at Rosh Hashanah
because they are a great match to the brisket.
They soak up all the juices.
But what's different about these potatoes
is that they're gonna be extra, extra bright
and not overly heavy or weighed down.
In my big braiser here, I have a mixture of schmaltz
which is chicken fat
and just a neutral oil.
And chicken fat is like liquid gold, it's so flavorful.
You can render it yourself
and reserve the crispy chicken skins for snacking
or buy it in a container at the store.
This oil is heating to 350 degrees.
I'll gently lower in my potatoes.
I'll let these cook about 13 to 15 minutes,
turning occasionally,
until the potatoes are deeply golden and crisp.
That is gonna make these little guys
completely irresistible.
And I really like shallow frying here versus deep frying.
You can get the potatoes to make full contact with the pan
which helps get them extra hot and crispy and golden.
Ah.
The schmaltz smells so good.
These have such great golden brown color.
I'll get them out of the schmaltz into my big bowl here.
Right, and now I'll quickly fry up some shallots
that I'll toss in with the potatoes.
They'll take just a minute to brown.
These are looking crispy.
We'll get them into my bowl with the potatoes
and then I'll toss these with kosher salt
while they're still warm and a little oily.
I'll plate them up.
You can hear how crispy they are.
I'll add some flaky salt for crunch.
Lemon zest and wedges
to cut the richness of those chicken fatty potatoes...
plus dill and scallions for freshness and color.
Ta da!
I want one, right now.
Mmm.
Oh, my God. What?
This is so flavorful.
It's creamy. It's schmaltzy.
It's so, so bright.
They... Excuse me while I go hide in a corner
and eat these potatoes.
This brisket has been braising low and slow
for the past three hours
and it's almost time for Rosh Hashanah dinner.
Oh, yeah, this looks awesome.
Against, the meatastic smell's in my nose.
I'll carefully remove it to a cutting board.
And then I'll let thang out while I complete my sauce.
I'm tossing in two cans of chickpeas
which add delicious, creamy, texture
and they look fun and festive,
like a ball pit for brisket.
I'll stir these in,
bring this up to a boil
and then allow it to simmer
until the liquid is thickened and the chickpeas are soft.
That looks like a delicious stew all on its own.
All right, I'll slice up the brisket.
You always wanna cut it against the grain
so that you don't get long, stringy bits.
And it doesn't take much effort because it is so tender.
Look at that juiciness.
And it's just gonna get even better
when it catches all of the braising liquid.
Whoo!
That's hot.
And then I'll ladle this chickpea mixture
all over the brisket.
And this sauce is just gonna...
create the moistiest, juiciest,
most flavorful bite of brisket you'll ever did have.
I'll finish with a sprinkle of parsley,
so that's festive.
Holy cow, it's time for dinner.
[speaking other language]
-[woman] Mmm-hmm. -[man] Mmm.
[woman] Mmm-hmm.
-[man] Mmm-hmm. -[Molly] Oh, my God.
[speaking indistinctly]
[horn blowing]