schnitzel: if you like crunchy food like i do, this is an easy dish to prepare

schnit·zel

n.

A thin cutlet of veal, usually seasoned, that is dipped in batter and fried.

[German, from Middle High German snitzel, diminutive of sniz, slice, from snitzen, to carve]

(Cookery) a thin slice of meat, esp veal See also Wiener schnitzel

[German: cutlet, from schnitzen to carve, schnitzeln to whittle

i know that everyone says to avoid fired foods and breading and batters, but if eaten in moderation, and if prepared in good oil, and eaten immediately, treat yourself to some schnitzel.

you can prepare this dish in the classic way with with veal - but pork, chicken, turkey or even lamb and beef can also be used. 
 

when i was working for chef rudy hilfiker in his connecticut restaurant that specialized in swiss cuisine, this was by far the most popular item on the menu.  he had a sous chef who worked days as an instructor at the cia, that would be the culinary institute of america, not the cia in langley, va. :-o between the two of us we were hard pressed at ties to keep yup with schnitzel production during meal time. because foods that are breaded and in this manner suffer incredibly indignities if prepared in advance of frying, we were only able to pound out and tenderize the veal before hand, and never were we to bread it until it was just going into the pan.

this restaurant sat 70 people at capacity, and we did 2 fully sold out seatings a night, 7 nights a week. with out fail, 140 pax a day, guaranteed. despite knowing that this would happen, rudy forbid use to bread schnitzel until the orders came in. but then, that is one very big reason that we were at capacity 365 nights a year. among all the other great dishes he had on his menu.

besides these great items that we prepared, every guest also had their choice of all they could eat of his fantastic (fresh) authentic rosti potatoes, buttered carrots, green beans almondine, spinach souffle and braised romaine lettuce (a simply elegant side veg).

we served so much food at this place that i had to peel and HAND cut no less than 50 pounds of carrots a day and snap no less than a bushel of string beans, too. and the day before we would steam, and then peel while hot, 100 pounds of potatoes (the linked image is 50 lbs. only) for rosti, but this is why they came in droves from as far away as nyc.

You will need:

• a meat mallet or tenderizing mallet as some call it (use the pebbled side and try to swing it level so as not to hit the meat with the edge only!)
• the meat, as portions as you see fit
• all purpose flour for dredging
• eggs, beaten
• bread crumbs, either traditional (home made or store bought) or the japanese panko crumbs that seem to be all the rage the last few years
• demi-glace, gravy or brown sauce, what ever you have on hand (you could use a cream or supreme sauce too if that is what you like, but it is in no way traditional)
• the garnishes shown in the picture below as well as a starch and veg of choice

How you do it:

1. as always, do the best shopping as you can, and gather everything together.
2. if you have not had the local butcher/grocer prepare your meat or poultry for you then thinly slice your veal or pork into escalopes. if using chicken breast and they are rather large and thick, filet them in to tow pieces each, the same goes for turkey. i like to use a boneless skinless chicken leg and thigh piece (one of my favorite cuts of poultry). this is not so easy to do and you can easily cut yourself trying. so if you wish to use this cut have buy it already prepared like this. (i happen to think that this is the most flavorful choice of them all if veal is off the menu. chicken prepared this way is actually called bachandle.)
3. sandwich the thin pieces between sheets of saran, bakers paper or recycled plastic shopping bags (my favorite). 
4. using a meat tenderizing mallet gently pound the pieces on both sides. if only on one side the pieces will have a tendency to retract back and also cup when they are cooked. if you are using chicken breasts that tend to be thicker at one end, pound that area a bit more. the object is to achieve a nice consistently thin (.05 cm) piece so it will fry quickly and evenly. the meat must be fully cooked when the bread crumbs are or you will not like what you are putting into your mouth, either raw meat, or burnt breading.
5. once the pieces are all pounded spread them out on so that they are all just touching edges. season with salt and pepper and also a bit of powdered mustard. you could also use a good paprika if you want.
6. IMPORTANT: prepare everything else that you will need and set aside to keep warm. the starch, the veggies, the sauce and the garnishes. once you start cooking the meat you will have no time for ANYTHING else.
7. then dredge each piece in the flour. Note: i use a plastic bag for this. it gets the job doe well and doesn't get flour all over the kitchen. eliminates cleaning a bowl and recycles a plastic grocery bag ta-boot.)
8. next wash the floured pieces in the well beaten eggs. if you use a bowl large enough you can get more than a few pieces into the egg at a time, this allows the flour to absorb the egg quite well and thus make the final step of breading a more complete one.
9. i then take a large bowl or pan (or another plastic bag) which i have previously filled with the desired style of bread crumbs and put one piece at a time into the crumbs. i then make certain that the crumbs have fully covered the piece of meat, press the crumbs ever so lightly into the egg wash to make certain it has adhered. and then repeat until all the pieces are breaded. you really do not want to do this any more than 5 or 10 minutes before frying. IMPORTANT NOTE: how you perform the breading is a major part of your success with this dish. 100% coverage is mandatory to avoid any of the oil getting under the breading and making the pieces greasy and soggy, YUCK! if you press to hard on the pieces the breading will not be able to puff up and away from the meat creating a casing rather than a coating. which will all effect the texture, the taste and the appearance of the finished dish.
10. using a heavy bottomed deep pan (not one with a non-stick finish PLEASE), or one of those nifty counter top fryers that are available for home use these days, and the best oil you can buy (typically not olive oil, but you can if you feel you must) is a quick and easy way to prepare this dish. however, the traditional method, and the tastiest method is to use butter ( or butter with a bit of oil added to up the flash point a bit) in a thin bottomed non-stick fry pan.  this second method requires expertise, a fast hand and if you are making more than 1 or 2 portions, a bit of a hassle. but the taste will be oh so much richer.
11. bring whatever shortening you are using up to a temperature that when tested with some loose breadcrumbs tells you that you are hot enough to fry, but not so hot as to burn your food.
12. fry the pieces of meat until they are golden brown, remove them to a wire rack or plate and repeat until all the pieces are done.
13. next put an amount of the sauce onto the plate, place the prepared meat on top of that, and then add whatever else you will be serving with the dish.
14. serve and enjoy!

The Usual Afterthoughts and Pointers: in the photos below you will see 2 versions. classic schnitzel ala holstein is garnished with a sunny side up egg and a slice of lemon topped with anchovy and capers. just sublime. the other picture shows a version i made one night because i just happen to love hollandaise sauce and there was some sitting on the counter in front of me and i could not resist.

no need to put sauce on top, this will ruin the crispy effect. if you like a lot of sauce either put it under the meat or in a side dish for dipping. 

rosti potatoes are perfect with this as is spaetzle. mash would be second choice and i would not be adverse to broad egg noodles either.  carrots is the classic side, but any veg will do. in the photo here i have sauteed the spaetzle noodles in butter with shallots, diced carrots, green peas and chopped parsley.

holstein in the traditional style with a side of veggie spaetzle
ratatouille and mash

fried egg and the lemon, anchovy and caper garnish
heavenly!

here it is with a bit of hollandaise and a strip of 'chovey.

we use a lot of lime in thailand as good lemons are not always available.

the beatles: as far as i am concerned, the greatest band there ever was, bar none ...

a friend sent me a list of links today that were compiled by a guy who is a beatles fan. this fanatic has taken the time and effort to find a video online to every beatles song every released (more or less), 214 titles in all. he has also gone so far as to include historical quotes, lyrics links and trivia about each song. here is the link to his home page, and here is the link to the complete list.

without the beatles, and their incredible talent and diversity, the music scene today would not be what it is. it might be safe to say that not a day goes by when you will not hear one of their songs, whether played by them, as a cover tune by another artist, background for a movie sound track or tv commercial, and even as muzak in an elevator.

i find the "about" for each song to be great. a perfect example is paul's quote about his song i'll follow the sun.

PAUL 1988: "I wrote that in my front parlour in Forthlin Road. I was about 16. There was a few from then-- 'Thinking Of Linking,' ever heard of that one? So 'I'll Follow The Sun' was one of those very early ones. I seem to remember writing it just after I'd had the flu... I remember standing in the parlour looking out through lace curtains of the window and writing that one. We had this hard R&B image in Liverpool, so I think songs like 'I'll Follow The Sun,' ballads like that, got pushed back to later."

right, he wrote that when he was 16 years old.

there is also a beatles radio station for those who want some streaming beatles.

this is another one of the sites where you find yourself still browsing an hour or two later.

since 1887: swiss chocolates by frey

i have always been a fanatic for anything chocolate and i tend to not spare the expense when i see something that looks to be of high quality. recently while cruising the aisles of the emporium market at sukhumvit 24 i spied frey's saveur du chili. this is a bar of outstandingly smooth dark chocolate that has been infused with the kick of red chili. i have yet to try cooking with this unique product, but simply nibbling away at it is a treat.
if you are someone who doesn't mind a bit of zip, and tries to not eat too much chocolate when it is within grasp, then possibly this chocolate bar from frey is what you seek. i say this because i find it a bit over bearing to eat an entire bar at once. instead i chip away at it slowly over a period time. a little goes a long way.

i think if melted it would make a great dip for strawberries and bananas, and when incorporated into a mousse or cake frosting would add a layer of unexpected taste.

i recommend that you also browse the frey website as it is designed well and the flash presentation is quite good and interactive. it is in english, german and french, and there is also a good section of recipes too.

their bar with cinnamon and orange is also great.

rolled eggplant stuffed with goat cheese and things

i made this dish while visiting some dear friends of mine a few years ago. they live in atlanta. ga. they are vegetarians so i created this dish with that in mind. you will see from my notes though that this dish can also be made for non-veg heads as well. we purchased all the ingredients at the whole foods store.

1. prepare your favorite tomato/marinara sauce or open a jar (see this post for a few tips on jarred sauces), who cares, no one is looking anyway.
2. peel LARGE eggplants and cut “fillets” ¼ (.6 cm) inch thick, length-wise, then place on a well oiled sheet pan and bake at 450 degrees for about 6 minutes on each side and transfer to your counter or a tray and bake more pieces until done. (we had 14 rolls that night, thus i prepared 14 slices. you can also use fish fillets like sole, flounder or whole boneless trout for this. you can also take salmon and “pound” between sheets of plastic to make thin pieces to roll, too. and of course, chicken, veal or pork.)
3. small dice: red pepper, yellow pepper, shallots, leeks, mushrooms, garlic and onions and sweat in olive oil until clear and set aside.
4. chop olives (black or green) and re-constituted sun-dried tomatoes, grate mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
5. toast pine nuts (see this post for a few tips on toasting pine nuts) until golden.
6. after the veggies have cooled combine them with the nuts, goat cheese, parm cheese, olives, SDT’s, and mix gently. (folding is actually a more accurate term for this technique.)
7. chop italian parsley and fresh rosemary (not a lot rosemary is very aromatic) and add to cheese stuffing mixture, mix. set aside or frig-a-late until eggplant (if using) is all cooked.
8. TO assemble this dish: put some tomato sauce in the bottom of oven-proof deep-dish casserole dish.
9. place 1 or 2 tablespoons of cheese mix on the FAT end of eggplant slice (or fish or chicken) and roll making sure the cheese is evenly dispersed inside the roll. NOTE: if you are using fish or meat you need to skewer the rolls so they will not unroll, and sauté in some olive oil until the meat is cooked. make certain the pieces are not too thick to ensure a fast cooking time, use a low flame and be careful not to let the filling ooze hot during this process. place into the sauce and continue until all are rolled (cooked).
10. spoon a moderate amount of sauce onto the top of the rolls, top with mozzarella and then parm cheeses and bake until bubbling and cheese is melted. (the time depends on what you have used for the outer casing.)
11. serve with pasta (if not stuffed in pasta), barley or rice, a nice salad and garlic bread.
12. enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!

NOTES and AFTER THOUGHTS: i think ricotta cheese would also be a good choice for the dish either mixed with some goat cheese or alone. or possibly put a tablespoon of ricotta where each roll will go before placing the rolls into the sauce. pesto could also be included in this dish either drizzled on top before you lay on the cheese, or simply on the side as a condiment. further, most any veggies you like could be used and even the addition of cooked chick peas would not cause this dish to suffer.)
 

it goes without saying that you can also use pre-cooked lasagna sheets, conchiglioni shells or cannelloni or manicotti wrappers/tubes. if you are stuffing a pasta tube you will need a pastry bag with a very large tip or opening to fill them with. make certain the filling is a bit chilled so it will not ooze out the other end. (word for today must be ooze.) you might also be able to use one of these if the opening is large enough not to mush up the fillings veggies. 

another variation, but one that will require a bit more skill/expertise and patience would be to flour the rolls, moisten them with beaten egg, bread them (including the ends) and deep-fry before placing them into the casserole or individual baking molds like these. (breading and deep frying is probably not a good idea with fish, but for eggplant, chicken or pork, no problem.)

a thing of beauty and a labor of love.

that's me checking for finger prints because i had left the room.