UPDATE: OMG! WORKING WITH THE HP MINI. It's gone psycho and I WIPED OUT THE RECIPE! IT IS HERE NOW!

Did you know that you can make schnitzels from chicken, turkey, eggplant and fish?

Did you know that you can crush Ritz Crackers, potato chips and even cornflakes? I draw the line at Cap'n Crunch, though.

Did you know that properly fried food is not greasy? The moisture from the food creates a barrier that keeps the oil out. If the food is fried just right, the food cooks before the barrier breaks and the  oil invades past the surface!

As long as the oil is 350 degrees F, the meat is only about 1/2 inch thick and the breading is divine, a schnitzel does not have to turn us all into modern era versions of King Henry the VIII. That sucker topped out at 400 pounds!  

The plates: 

One plate has 1-2 beaten eggs mixed with 2 tblsp water. Don't have enough eggs? Try mixing in some mayonnaise!

One plate has flour.

One plate has the crumbs.

The final plate is for the finished, breaded items. This gets wrapped and put in the fridge.

The meat: 

You can slice it or you can beat it with a mallet, but it has to be about 1/2 inch thick. Eggplant can be up to an inch thick because it it not meat.

For fowl, I just slice the best bits to the required thinness. The butcher can do it, too.  

I know that  chicken or turkey breast and pork can be a little  boring. So, I marinate these! Here are some of my favorite marinades that go overnight or for a couple of hours in the fridge:

Onion, red and yellow peppers, salt and pepper.  In the Summer, forget the breading and do these bad boys on the grill! With Bitbürger Pils!

Brandy, basalmic vinegar, garlic, onion, salt and pepper.

Red or white wine plus French or Italian herbs, plus onion and garlic.

Red wine and soy sauce, plus ginger and sesame oil.

 The beef and fish are fine as they are and don't need marinating unless you like rich flavor.

The crumbs: 

If you use Ritz Crackers, corn or wheat flakes, baked Lays potato chips or regular potato chips, crush them into a medium crumb, and not too fine. Do this by hand for better control of the final product.

Pankow is actually toasted, light, water breadcrumb and is good for delicate, fast cooking schnitzels  like fish and eggplant. Use it right out of the box.

All breadcrumbs need to be toasted and not crushed too fine as the finer crumbs can get gritty when fried.  The Italian and other packaged breadcrumbs are finer crumbs that will not overcook with  fish and eggplant.

With chicken and pork, however, the meat has to be thoroughly cooked.  It is just a personal preference, but I do  not like to use anything but the densest bread, crackers or cereal with pork and fowl, since richer crumbs will hold up during longer cooking times.

For beef, it's all good.

 The breading technique:

Dredge and coat the chicken in egg.

Move to the flour and dredge until coated with flour.

Move back to the egg and dredge again.

Move to the crumbs and press into the crumbs to coat all around. Do not overwork this stage.

Place on final plate. Lightly wrap in plastic or wax paper and fridge it up for at least an hour.

 The breaded chicken schnitzels with Ritz Crackers. (I ran out with just two more to go, but had an unopened bag of plain potato chips that had been in the pantry for months.)

Cooking: 

Cook 2-4 minutes on each side for beef and eggplant.

Cook 4-5 minutes on each side for chicken or until juices run clear.

God bless you with the fish.

 Serve with butter lettuce and a light vinagrette, plus light mashed or baked potato. Or give it up and do some perfectly done fries, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. 

 

 Here are the frying schnitzels. You don't really need this much oil, though. Put in enough to avoid the dreaded "white stripes" up the sides.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some of the classic schnitzel recipes! 

 Here's a Kosher Israeli Chicken Schnitzel Recipe. 

Weiner Schnitzel 

Zigeunerschnitzel 

Chicken Fried or "Country" Steak w Alton Brown