Years ago, when I was a college student studying in Europe, I tasted Wiener schnitzel for the first time. In Vienna, the city whose name is part of the title of this Austrian favorite, I ordered these thinly sliced breaded veal cutlets.
Fried in butter until crisp and golden, then served with a lemon wedge, they seemed to melt in my mouth.
Later, when I began cooking in my own kitchen, I often prepared Wiener schnitzel (which translates as “Viennese cutlet”). The procedure was simple. You dredged thin slices of veal in flour, dipped them in an egg/milk mixture, then coated them in bread crumbs. A quick sauteing and presto, they were done.
Over time, I stopped making this dish and turned my attention to other cuisines, but recently my interest was rekindled when I saw some chicken cutlets at my local supermarket.
Why not make schnitzels not with veal (expensive and not so easy to find), but with chicken. I decided to add a few contemporary touches, adding smoked paprika — the Spanish pimenton — to the usual salt and pepper seasonings, replacing traditional bread crumbs with panko (coarser Japanese bread crumbs), and using canola oil instead of butter for frying. The results were delicious.
I showcased these chicken schnitzels at a small dinner party recently. A salad of watercress, cucumbers and radishes tossed in vinaigrette dressing made a refreshing counterpoint to the schnitzels, while steamed green beans rounded out the menu.
When everyone helped themselves to seconds of the schnitzels, I realized that this updated version was as tempting as the original.
Chicken schnitzels with watercress, cucumber, radish salad
4 chicken cutlets, 6 to 8 ounces each and about 1/4 inch thick (see note)
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cups panko (see note)
3/4 cup flour
1 large egg
1/4 cup milk
1½ teaspoons smoked paprika (see note)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Canola oil
4 thick lemon wedges
SALAD
1 bunch watercress, tough base stems cut off and discarded
½ medium cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded and thinly sliced
5 radishes, cleaned and thinly sliced
½ small red onion, thinly sliced to yield 3/4 cup
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
Place cutlets in a shallow, nonreactive dish and toss with lemon juice to coat well. Marinate 30 minutes at room temperature. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Spread panko crumbs and flour on separate large plates. Lightly beat egg and milk in a shallow dish. Pat cutlets dry with paper towels. Combine paprika, 1½ teaspoons salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl; season each cutlet on both sides with spice mixture. Dredge each cutlet in flour, then dip in egg mixture, then coat with panko crumbs.
Add enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of a large, heavy skillet, and set over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking.
Saute enough cutlets to fit comfortably in a single layer until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove to a baking sheet, and place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining cutlets, adding more oil if necessary.
For the salad, toss together watercress, cucumber, radishes, and onion in a medium bowl. Whisk vinegar, mustard, ½ teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and olive oil in a small bowl. Toss salad with enough vinaigrette to coat lightly. (You may have some left over.) Season with more salt and pepper, if needed.
Top each chicken cutlet with a lemon wedge and garnish with some salad. Makes 4 servings.
Note: Chicken cutlets can be made by butterflying boneless chicken breast halves. With a sharp knife held parallel to work surface, halve a breast horizontally starting at the thicker side and not cutting all the way through. If you don’t see any chicken cutlets at your market, you can ask the butcher to butterfly them for you.
Panko bread crumbs and smoked paprika are available in most supermarkets.
Betty Rosbottom is the author of “The Big Book of Backyard Cooking” (Chronicle Books).
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