Chef’s Nectar, “Chicken Schnitzel”

Schnitzel is a popular German dish but I think it’s popular in all over the Europe. It’s usually served with mashed potatoes or spaetzle but lemons and mustard are a must. Squeezing some lemon juice over the schnitzel is must, it really does make all the difference in the world. And o hope you would definitely love to have this marvelous delicacy.

Ingredients of making the Chicken Schnitzel

• 3 lbs chicken breasts boneless and skinless
• 4 tsp salt or to taste, divided
• 4 tsp black pepper or to taste, divided
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups bread crumbs (I used Panko)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley for garnish
• vegetable oil for frying

Accompanied with

• lemon wedges
• Dijon mustard

Method of making the Chicken Schnitzel

• Working with one piece of chicken breast at a time, place it in a ziploc plastic bag or between two sheets of plastic wrap. If using a plastic bag, partially close the bag, but not all the way to allow air to flow out. Use a meat mallet to pound out the meat using the flat side of the mallet, gently so you don’t tear the meat, until it’s about 1/4″ in thickness. Repeat with the rest of chicken breasts.
• Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and keep aside.
• In one shallow plate whisk the flour with 1 tsp salt and pepper. In another shallow plate whisk the breadcrumbs with 1 tsp salt and pepper. In another shallow plate, whisk the eggs with 1 tsp salt, pepper and the Dijon mustard.
• Place all plates next to each other like on an assembly line. Start by coating the chicken in the flour mixture first, shaking off any excess. Dip it into the egg mixture next, making sure it’s fully covered in egg, and lastly dredge it through the breadcrumb mixture. Place on a plate and repeat with the rest of the chicken.
• Heat about 1/4 cup of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot enough place a schnitzel into the skillet and fry, the oil should sizzle. Usually I drop a breadcrumb to see if it sizzles. If your skillet is really big you may be able to fry two pieces of chicken at a time. I used a 10 1/2 skillet, and was only able to fry one schnitzel at a time. Add more oil as necessary in between schnitzels. Fry for about 2 to 3 minutes per side or until the schnitzel is a deep golden brown. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with remaining chicken.
• Serve Chicken schnitzels with lemon wedges, Dijon mustard and I like to serve mine with mashed potatoes.
• In my childhood, I was ready to have this delicacy through out the week and always fight with my siblings to asked the mother to make this dish every other day.