Most of you might be wondering what the heck Schnitzel even is: flattened, breaded, fried meat.
You may have heard of "weiner schnitzel" which is a german version where the meat is often veal. I am chicken fan myself, and let me tell you - chicken schnitzel is very hard to get right.
My boyfriend first introduced me to schnitzel by talking about it. All talk, no meat. I pried and prodded and one night he surprised me with a schnitzel dinner. The seasoning was perfect, it was delicious, but he was the first to admit it came out a little dry.
He came to visit me for the first time in my new place (in a new state far far away) and I decided I was going to make a special dinner. Best way to keep a guy around is food, right??
I scoured the internet for the "perfect schnitzel" and eventually came across a recipe that got me close, but not close enough. I still had to bake the chicken at the end and when it was cooked through most of it was dry.
Le Sigh.
I read tips online and gathered from other schnitzel cookers that the key is to make sure its very very flat.
So one night, I put my chicken in a plastic bag, got out the unopened wine bottle I would tap into later, and began to beat the chicken with all my might.
Five minutes later, I had well-aerated wine AND wonderfully flat chicken breast. Voila.
Below, may I present to you, the perfect schnitzel.
Step 1: The beating.
Using whatever tool you wish, beat your chicken breasts until double in width. Don't give up until its really really flat. An unopened wine bottle worked great for me, just don't crack it on a hard surface in the process.
Step 2: The breading.
Season your breasts with paprika (be generous), a pinch of cayenne, your favorite green herbs, and salt and pepper. Crack eggs (1 for 1-2 breasts, 2 for more) in a shallow dish. Dip the breasts in the egg, coat both sides of the egged breasts with breadcrumbs (i like panko) spread on on another shallow dish.
Step 3: The wait.
Let the breaded breasts sit in the fridge for 30-45 minutes. This is key if you don't want all that hardwork to fall off later.
Step 4: The sizzle.
In a cast iron skillet, add enough oil to be about 1/4-1/2 inch deep. Heat to 7 (I have an electric stove, you want the oil to be hot but not popping). TIP: use an oil with a fairly high smoke point (like canola) so you are less likely to end up with a dark schnitzel. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side (if you beat it enough, this is enough time, trust me). When you've done each side, throw onto a pan into an oven at 250. This gives you time to cook the next one without overcooking the first.
Step 5: The sauce.
In the pan you cooked the schnitzel in, drain the excess oil. Melt as much butter as you can stomach, add some white wine, and finish with some lemon juice (go easy don't get to sour). Pour over the schnitzel and enjoy!
