There's something tremendously comforting about a chicken (or pork or veal) escalope swathed in a cloak of crunchy breadcrumbs and fried. It's easy enough to whip up on a working weeknight after a bone-tiring day and it's dead delicious too -- a guaranteed hit with adults and children alike.Perhaps that is why you will find many variations of the breaded cutlet - the Japanese tonkatsu, the Australian parma, the American chicken-fried steak. But the most famous of all is the Austrian schnitzel; the wienerschnitzel (made of veal) being the classic one. But a schnitzel can be made even of chicken and pork.The famous gourmet who introduced Austro-Hungarian food to the world, Joseph Wechsberg, tells us in his most charming Blue Trout and Black Truffles: The Peregrinations of an Epicure, that pork schnitzel was in fact, extremely popular, because pork was a most beloved meat of both the rich and the poor. "In (pre-war) Prague, the good restaurants-- and the best of them were very good-- used to feature a dazzling variety of pork dishes", he writes. Pork schnitzel (made from thin, boneless escalopes) was one of them and it seems to have entirely eclipsed the veal schnitzel. Pork is a little fattier and richer in taste, and can be cheaper. Vegetarians can even make a version with aubergines.
How to Make Chicken Schnitzel - The Recipe
The schnitzel that I make at home is more often than not, a chicken one. The prep is slightly fussy but the cooking itself goes by quick as a wink.4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Pepper and salt, for seasoning
1 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups breadcrumbs
3 broad, shallow bowls, as receptacles for the eggs, breadcrumbs and flour
3 tbsp oilOnce you have your chicken breasts, you need to pound them, preferably with a pounding mallet, that looks a little bit like a hammer with knobs at the end. If you don't have a mallet, you can use anything to achieve the effect, including the flat back of a saucepan. But don't skip this step. Pounding is crucial, because it achieves an even thinness, that helps the meat to cook quickly and evenly. Plus, since we are going to coat the schnitzel in breadcrumbs and then cook it, the meat needs to be tender enough to cook in time with the breadcrumbs. Or else you will have burnt breadcrumbs and underdone meat. Besides, the pounding will make the meat far more tender, by breaking down its muscle tissue.
Be careful when you pound though - the juice tends to splatter all across the kitchen counter. I usually cover my chicken with cling wrap, and then pound the crap out of it. I tend to pound away until the chicken breast reaches approximately a 1/5 inch thickness. If the breast is too thick to start with, I slice it into two or three and then go hammer and tongs at it. That makes the whole process easier and faster.Next, season the meat with salt and pepper and prepare for a three-way dredging. First, run your meat through flour until it is fully coated. This will give the eggs something to hold on to. Next, of course, dredge it through the beaten eggs but let any excess egg drip off (in Austria, they add milk to the eggs, but for extra richness, you may add cream). And finally, dip it into the breadcrumbs. Remember to grasp the chicken breast by the end, don't clutch them from the middle. Repeat the process with all the chicken pieces.Heat the oil on a skillet. Then fling the chicken onto the fire, making sure that the oil is hot (I use peanut but any oil with a non-intrusive flavour will do). Don't stint on the oil either. There is no need to deep fry the schnitzel, but you do need enough oil to coat the breasts fully and then some. Also, do not stuff too many pieces onto the skillet, only as many as will fit comfortably. This is because you must constantly swirl them around the saucepan, so that waves of oil soak them from the top - this will make your coating super light and crunchy. Scoop a little oil from the sides and pour it over the escalopes while frying. Sometimes, I add a daub of butter, which immediately escalates the taste. You can of course, cook the thing entirely in butter if you wish. Turn them over, as required.After they are cooked to a delightful golden-brown colour, let them rest for a few seconds on some paper napkins in order to wick the oil away, and season lightly (again).AccompanimentsThe schnitzel is pretty heavy on its own, so it's best to serve it with something light, like a cucumber or vinegary cabbage salad, or with steamed, skinned baby potatoes or a potato salad (which is the original way). A wedge of lemon will add some much-needed acidity to lift the stodginess of the dish.Where to try Schnitzel in MumbaiBut perhaps you cannot be bothered with all the pounding and breading and frying. In which case, you can get all manner of schnitzel (including aubergine), served with a multitude of sides - fries, mushroom sauce, pepper sauce, garlic mayo and such, at Imbiss. For a properly decadent one, try its version of the Holsten Schnitzel - fried duck egg on pork schnitzel with bacon and anchovy caper sauce.For a more posh experience, Salt Water Cafe has a chicken 'schnitzel' burger. Harry's Bar and Cafe in Powai makes a butter-drenched one (delicious!) and The Chicken Story (take-away / home delivery in Powai) makes a chicken schnitzel which is served with veggies, fries and a ragu, which sounds like overkill buy may be superb. You be the judge of that.About the author:Meher Mirza is an independent writer and editor, with a focus on food and travel. Formerly with BBC Good Food India, she loves anime, animals and artsy things but also comics, technology and death metal.Disclaimer:The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. NDTV is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
How to Make Chicken Schnitzel - The Recipe
The schnitzel that I make at home is more often than not, a chicken one. The prep is slightly fussy but the cooking itself goes by quick as a wink.4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Pepper and salt, for seasoning
1 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups breadcrumbs
3 broad, shallow bowls, as receptacles for the eggs, breadcrumbs and flour
3 tbsp oilOnce you have your chicken breasts, you need to pound them, preferably with a pounding mallet, that looks a little bit like a hammer with knobs at the end. If you don't have a mallet, you can use anything to achieve the effect, including the flat back of a saucepan. But don't skip this step. Pounding is crucial, because it achieves an even thinness, that helps the meat to cook quickly and evenly. Plus, since we are going to coat the schnitzel in breadcrumbs and then cook it, the meat needs to be tender enough to cook in time with the breadcrumbs. Or else you will have burnt breadcrumbs and underdone meat. Besides, the pounding will make the meat far more tender, by breaking down its muscle tissue.
Be careful when you pound though - the juice tends to splatter all across the kitchen counter. I usually cover my chicken with cling wrap, and then pound the crap out of it. I tend to pound away until the chicken breast reaches approximately a 1/5 inch thickness. If the breast is too thick to start with, I slice it into two or three and then go hammer and tongs at it. That makes the whole process easier and faster.Next, season the meat with salt and pepper and prepare for a three-way dredging. First, run your meat through flour until it is fully coated. This will give the eggs something to hold on to. Next, of course, dredge it through the beaten eggs but let any excess egg drip off (in Austria, they add milk to the eggs, but for extra richness, you may add cream). And finally, dip it into the breadcrumbs. Remember to grasp the chicken breast by the end, don't clutch them from the middle. Repeat the process with all the chicken pieces.Heat the oil on a skillet. Then fling the chicken onto the fire, making sure that the oil is hot (I use peanut but any oil with a non-intrusive flavour will do). Don't stint on the oil either. There is no need to deep fry the schnitzel, but you do need enough oil to coat the breasts fully and then some. Also, do not stuff too many pieces onto the skillet, only as many as will fit comfortably. This is because you must constantly swirl them around the saucepan, so that waves of oil soak them from the top - this will make your coating super light and crunchy. Scoop a little oil from the sides and pour it over the escalopes while frying. Sometimes, I add a daub of butter, which immediately escalates the taste. You can of course, cook the thing entirely in butter if you wish. Turn them over, as required.After they are cooked to a delightful golden-brown colour, let them rest for a few seconds on some paper napkins in order to wick the oil away, and season lightly (again).AccompanimentsThe schnitzel is pretty heavy on its own, so it's best to serve it with something light, like a cucumber or vinegary cabbage salad, or with steamed, skinned baby potatoes or a potato salad (which is the original way). A wedge of lemon will add some much-needed acidity to lift the stodginess of the dish.Where to try Schnitzel in MumbaiBut perhaps you cannot be bothered with all the pounding and breading and frying. In which case, you can get all manner of schnitzel (including aubergine), served with a multitude of sides - fries, mushroom sauce, pepper sauce, garlic mayo and such, at Imbiss. For a properly decadent one, try its version of the Holsten Schnitzel - fried duck egg on pork schnitzel with bacon and anchovy caper sauce.For a more posh experience, Salt Water Cafe has a chicken 'schnitzel' burger. Harry's Bar and Cafe in Powai makes a butter-drenched one (delicious!) and The Chicken Story (take-away / home delivery in Powai) makes a chicken schnitzel which is served with veggies, fries and a ragu, which sounds like overkill buy may be superb. You be the judge of that.About the author:Meher Mirza is an independent writer and editor, with a focus on food and travel. Formerly with BBC Good Food India, she loves anime, animals and artsy things but also comics, technology and death metal.Disclaimer:The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. NDTV is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
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