What are the best breadcrumbs to use?
Although we say to use fresh breadcrumbs, the best bread to use is two to three days old. If you use super fresh bread in the food processor, it will form clumps rather than perfectly coarse crumbs. If you’re a bit time-short and don’t want to make fresh breadcrumbs, you can use supermarket-bought dry breadcrumbs. Our favourite type is panko breadcrumbs. These are made from Japanese white bread that has been processed into flakes and then dried. Although regular dried breadcrumbs (that have been processed into smaller pieces) will still work, there’s something about the flaky texture of panko that creates a super-crispy crumb.
What cut of chicken do I use?
This recipe says to use chicken breast schnitzel (uncrumbed), This is chicken breast that has been sliced horizontally into thin pieces. If unavailable, you can do this yourself. Place a chicken breast on a chopping board. Place the palm of one hand on the top of the chicken to anchor it. Use a long, sharp, bladed knife to slice horizontally through the middle of the chicken. When you get to the other side, fold the breast out and slice through the middle to make two pieces. Depending on how thick you want your schnitzel to be, you may want to use a meat mallet to pound until thin.
Can I crumb chicken without using egg?
If you are intolerant to eggs, you can still successfully crumb your chicken. Dust the chicken well with flour to ensure the surface is dry and then dip the chicken into thickened cream. Allow the excess to drip off and then coat in the breadcrumb mixture.
What are the secrets to shallow frying?
As opposed to deep frying, when shallow frying the oil doesn’t completely cover the food, instead it covers only about one-third of it. First choose a pan that has a heavy base. You don’t want a flimsy pan with a wobbly base when dealing with hot oil. Use a neutral tasting oil. I like rice bran as it gives a great golden finish to the crumb. Pour enough oil to come 2cm up the side of the frying pan and heat over medium-high heat. Getting the temperature right is an important step. Too hot it will cook the outside before the chicken cooks, too low and the oil will absorb rather than immediately crisp the chicken and the schnitzel may stick to the bottom of the pan. I put the handle of a wooden spoon into the centre of the pan. If bubbles of oil dance off it, the oil is ready. Gently lower two of the schnitzels into the pan, don’t try and cook them all at once. If the pan is overcrowded, the temperature of the oil drops, leading to soggy schnitzels.
What to serve with a schnitty
Schnitzel loves cabbage, whether it’s just thinly sliced, turned into coleslaw or braised in cream with bacon. As the crumb contains oil, schnitzels are also great served with a salad. They can even be thinly sliced and tossed through a Caesar salad. With the Italian seasonings in the crumb of the schnitzel, you could serve it with creamy polenta or chips sprinkled with salt and finely chopped fresh rosemary. To me, personally, however, the greatest way to serve a schnitty is drizzled with mayonnaise, between two slices of fresh white bread.
