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Sunday, January 22, 2012

Sizzled Chicken Schnitzel

A few days ago, Matt's friend Abe came over for dinner. OK, so it wasn't actually "for dinner", but he came to hang out and it kind of spilled into dinnertime. This was totally fine with me, but I hadn't planned on feeding a third person for dinner that night, but as it so happens, I had defrosted a 4-pack of skinless, boneless chicken breasts the night before. I could easily feed three tonight instead of two. 

I quickly flipped through my lovely new cookbook, "Desperation Dinners" to find something that would be easy, something that wouldn't be too complicated, and, most importantly, contained ingredients I had already in my cabinet. That is what lead me to Sizzled Chicken Schnitzel. 

Schnitzel is a simple dish that is popular all over the world! It is most known as a staple in German and Austrian cuisine and often made with pork or veal. In Vienna, when it is made of veal, it is referred to as Wienerschnitzel

Many different countries have their own version of schnitzel. For example, in Israel, their version is made with turkey and it is often referred to as their "national dish". In Italy, cotoletta alla milanese is very similar to Wienerschintzel. In Japan, the dish is made using Panko crumbs. The dish also became popular in Namibia thanks to its German colonial history, and they serve it with a fried egg on top. 

Chicken schnitzel is the most popular in Germany because it's lower in fat and cholesterol than veal or pork, and it is the basis of their own version of chicken Parmesan - they make the schnitzel and top it with tomato sauce and Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. 

Regardless of what meat it is made from, schnitzel is always made from a meat that is pounded flat, coated in flour and then breaded and subsequently pan-fried. This version from "Desperation Dinners" uses a small amount of olive oil to cut down the calories. 

SIZZLED CHICKEN SCHNITZEL, courtesy of "Desperation Dinners"
Makes 4 servings
YOU WILL NEED:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts, defrosted if frozen
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
1 large egg

You will also need a large skillet or saute pan.

1. Combine the flour, basil, salt and pepper in a large zipper-top plastic bag. 

2. Place the chicken breasts, one at a time, between two sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap. Pound the breasts with several whacks of a meat mallet or rolling pin to thin them evenly to a thickness of about 1/2 inch. Peel off the paper and add the breasts to the bag of with the flour mixture. Shake evenly to coat.

3. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, spread the bread crumbs on a plate and beat the egg in a small bowl, using a fork or whisk. Dip the chicken breasts, one at a time, first into the egg and then into the bread crumbs to coat on both sides. Shake off excess crumbs. Add the breasts to the skillet as you coat them (I used a bowl to avoid breadcrumb messes!)

4. Cook the breasts until the chicken is cooked through with a golden brown crust, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. If the crumb coating begins to overbrown, reduce the heat to medium.

5. Place each breast on a serving plate and enjoy!

Yeah, I overbrowned just a little, but you know what? It tasted awesome just the same!


What's great about this dish is that you can pair it with anything and it will compliment it nicely! I served with pasta and peas, but you can go with mashed potatoes, rice or even a potato salad.  


Anyway...this was a quick and easy chicken recipe that pleased everyone! I totally did not plan on making this recipe at all, let alone blogging about it, but I decided to document the process anyway - just in case. Turns out, the reception was four big thumbs up! The crust of breadcrumbs made for a nice crunch. Abe said it was the moistest chicken he'd ever had, and Matt devoured his in seconds. It was so easy to make and I had everything to make it right in my cabinets - no special ingredients required! Flour, breadcrumbs, egg, salt, pepper and dried basil are all staples that I'm sure nearly everyone has already, and it's a quick dinner fix when you're in a rush or you're at a loss for what to do for dinner. This was an A-plus all the way!

Coming up in a few days, I have recipes for Cajun Rice & Beans and White Bean & Chicken Chili - two good recipes for cold winter nights!

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