What kind of meat to take, what to add to breading, how to balance the dish – this is our article.
Battered frying is a great way to cook a piece of meat, poultry or fish quickly, since breading keeps the product from drying out and preserves the juiciness and flavor of what’s inside. You can essentially roast anything: chicken, turkey, beef, pork, ground meat, lamb, fish, vegetables. Yes, each case has its own nuances, but the principle works exactly like this: a piece of small thickness is rolled in egg and flour mixture, breading and fried.
All these products have only one thing in common – they must be cooked quickly. That is, the meat does not require long cooking to soften – it is already soft. Therefore, you need to choose the right cuts.
What cuts to take:
Beef or veal: thigh part, shoulder blade, thick or thin edge;
Pork: thigh, shoulder blade, carbonad, lean neck;
chicken or turkey: breast and thigh.
How to cook a schnitzel?
A schnitzel is a thin slice of meat that has been breaded and fried. Historically, the dish belongs to Viennese cuisine and was made with veal. Wiener Schnitzel is one of the most famous dishes of this cuisine, but it has many analogues prepared using the same technology.
To prepare the meat, you need to slice the slices thinly, and if they are thick, then a little chop.
Tip: If you fry vegetables in this way, you can boil them a little beforehand. The fish should be cut in advance so that there are no bones left in it, because it will be difficult to pick them out of the ready dish. Even the cutlets cooked in breading will be juicier.
The dish can be flavored at each stage of cooking: add spices to the egg and flour mixture, breading, marinate the meat. But the cooking technique is more important.
What can be added to the breading? Here are the simplest examples of what you can mix breadcrumbs with:
Breadcrumbs + dried thyme
Breadcrumbs + dried garlic
Bread crumbs + grated cheese
Bread crumbs + sunflower seeds
Bread crumbs + paprika
Bread crumbs + fresh herbs + fresh garlic
Breadcrumbs + curry powder + dry basil
To balance the dish, it is often served with light side dishes or sauces.
Let’s summarize what the secret to a delicious schnitzel is:
- The right piece of meat. It should be soft initially.
- Pre-preparation (slicing, chopping, marinating).
- a good layer of breading to create a crispy crust and protect everything inside.
- Quick frying.
Chicken Breast Schnitzel Recipe
And not to leave theory without practice, let’s make a simple chicken breast schnitzel!
For 2 servings you will need:
Chicken breast – 2 pieces.
2/3 tsp. dried garlic.
Paprika (preferably smoked) – 2/3 tsp.
Dried thyme or Italian herbs – 1/ 2 tsp.
Salt – 2/3 tsp.
Ground pepper – 1/ 5 tsp.
Flour – 2 tablespoons.
Egg – 2 eggs.
Bread crumbs – 1 package (about 100 gr)
Preparation:
Mix together salt, pepper, dry herbs, paprika, dried garlic, flour and eggs. Mix until homogeneous.
Peel chicken breast from bones, veins and fat. Cut lengthwise and in half into two equal parts.
Lightly beat off with the blunt side of the blade so that the thickness of the piece is even – about 1 cm. This is important, as the thickness determines the cooking time.
We dip the chicken in the egg and flour mixture and then coat it in breadcrumbs. The breading should completely cover the piece.
Pour oil on a frying pan with a thick bottom, heat over medium-high heat.
Place the schnitzel in the pan and fry until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. This time works if the meat is no thicker than 1 cm.
After frying we put it on a paper towel to remove the excess oil.
We serve it with fresh vegetables and sauce.
Everything is ready, enjoy!