Introduction: HĀHNCHENSCHNITZEL (CHICKEN SCHNITZEL)

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About: I am a 82-year-old self-proclaimed Chef who has spent most of his life in the hotel/resort tourism industry. I have traveled up and down the east coast of the United States from New York to Key West, and from …

WARNING: This is a very rich recipe! These tender chicken cutlets are coated in corn flower; egg, and panko breadcrumbs; fried in oil, then fried again in butter. I can't stop eating them!

Step 1: INGREDIENTS: (2 Servings; Maybe 2-1/2 - the Half Being for a Late Nite Snack)!

  1. 1 skinless, boneless, chicken cutlet cut into very thin slices *(one 10 to 12 ounce breast half)
  2. 1/2 cup Masa (corn flour)
  3. 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Salt Sense (or sea salt with iodine)
  4. 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  5. 1/'4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
  6. 1/4 teaspoon dried Basil
  7. **1 large egg
  8. 1 cup 4c Japanese Style Plain Panko Light & Crispy Breadcrumbs
  9. 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or any high-temperature cooking oil)
  10. 4 TBS unsalted butter
  11. 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
  12. Several slices fresh Blood Orange (optional; you could also use fresh Lemon).

  • *NOTE: This was my first attempt to slice a chicken breast thin enough to make chicken schnitzel. The breast (half of a large breast) that I defrosted weighed 11 ounces. I got 3 fair-sized cutlets and one small one)
  • **Note: 2 large brown eggs appear in the picture above, but after slicing the chicken, I decided that I would only need one egg for the egg wash.

Step 2: PREPARATION:

Remove chicken breast from refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

  • Line a baking pan or cookie sheet large enough to hold all of the cutlets in a single layer with wax paper and keep it handy..
  • Line another equally sized baking pan or cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  • Once you start cooking you will have to move rather fast, so prep as much of the recipe as possible before you start (cooking).
  1. Slice the Orange (or lemon) into fairly thin slices and set aside.
  2. Slice the breast into thin slices of about 1/4" each.
  3. Place the slices of chicken, one at a time, between a sheet of plastic wrap and pound evenly thin. Set aside momentarily.
  4. Place the corn flour in a big dish or paper plate and mix in the S&P.
  5. In another dish, lightly whisk the egg.
  6. In a 3rd dish or paper plate, thoroughly mix the breadcrumbs with the cayenne pepper and dried basil.
  7. Dredge one chicken cutlet at a time in the corn flour mix, turning to coat. Then gently shake off any excess flour and place the floured cutlet on the wax paper covered cookie sheet. Repeat this process with each cutlet..
  8. Next, dip each cutlet, one at a time, into the egg wash and coat completely. Let any excess drain off (back into the dish), then coat it thoroughly in the breadcrumb mixture, patting each side down to enable the breadcrumbs to stick.
  9. Place the breadcrumb coated cutlets on the parchment paper lined baking sheet while you heat the oil

Step 3: INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat (if you have a thermometer, heat the oil to about 350 degrees F (not higher, but try to keep it at 350 or a just a little under).
  2. Also while the oil is heating, remove the wax paper from the 1st baking sheet that you lined and replace the wax paper with a double layer of paper towels and keep it handy. Fry the cutlets (1 or 2 at a time if necessary; don't crowd the pan) in the hot oil until cooked through and just golden brown (about 1-1/2 to 2 minutes per side). Transfer the browned cutlets to the baking sheet lined with paper towels and place the them in the preheated oven to keep them warm while you prepare the next step. Pour off and discard the cooking oil. Carefully wipe the pan clean. Add the butter and the 1/4 teaspoon of cardamom to that pan and reheat it over medium heat, stirring, until the butter begins to bubble and sizzle. Remove the cutlets from the oven and quickly saute them on each side (in batches if necessary, and just long enough to brown the breadcrumbs a bit; probably a minute or less per side). Remove the browned cutlets to a serving platter. Quickly saute the slices of orange or lemon in that same pan; then use them to decorate the serving platter (If there is still some liquid in the frying pan, I like to drizzle it over the cooked cutlets).

Step 4: TIME TO EAT . . .

I'm enjoying my HĀHNCHENSCHNITZEL with a couple of slices of sauteed Blood Orange, some leftover buttered egg noodles with shredded asiago cheese, and a glass of Barefoot's chilled California Riesling wine - and that beautiful Red Passion Flower, cut from the vine right outside my front door, seems to add just the right touch to this presentation.

Bon appétit. . .

Step 5: NUTRITION:

I have estimated the nutritional value of this recipe to the best of my ability using the MyFitnessPal Recipe Analyzer. However, my analysis may or may not be reasonabley accurate since I find it difficult to estimate the amount of oil, butter, flour and breadcrumbs used due to the amounts of each item discarded after usage. (Buttered noodles and wine not included in estimate).