DOUBLE CRUMBED SCHNITZEL

Fi Hammond has taken the humble 'schnitty' to seriously heady heights with her recipe for double crumbed Belted Galloway beef schnitzel! Sure, they're a little bit naughty, but eat them with a side of sauteed greens and you'll be just fine.

serves 4

4  Belted Galloway beef schnitzels 

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

4 cups fresh breadcrumbs (see note below)

finely grated zest of 1 lemon

½ bunch flat leaf parsley, leaves chopped, stems discarded (compostJ)

⅓ cup finely grated pecorino

½ cup plain flour

5 large eggs, beaten

60g unsalted butter

½ cup olive oil

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Pat each schnitzel with paper towel to remove any excess blood/moisture. Place a schnitzel in between two sheets of baking paper.  Using a meat tenderizer or rolling pin, pound the meat to thin out to about 4mm thick. Repeat with remaining schnitzels. Season both sides of schnitzels with a generous sprinkling of sea salt and pepper.

Combine breadcrumbs, lemon zest, parsley and pecorino in a bowl to mix well. In three wide shallow bowls placed side by side in a row, place flour in the first one, beaten eggs in the middle and breadcrumb mixture in the third.

Using one hand for dry coating, coat both sides of schnitzel in flour and gently shake to remove excess flour. Then using the other hand for the wet coating, dip schnitzel into the egg to coat both sides and allow excess egg to drip back into bowl. Changing hands again, dip the schnitzel into the breadcrumbs coating both sides, shaking off excess crumbs.  Then using your ‘wet hand’ dip back into egg mix to coat both sides draining excess egg into bowl and repeat crumbing coating for the second layer of crumbs.  Transfer crumbed schnitzel onto a tray.  Repeat steps with remaining schnitzels, remembering to keep one hand for dry coating and the other for the wet coating.  Place the tray of schnitzels in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before cooking. (The schnitzels can be prepared up to this stage, stored in a sealed container with a layer of baking paper in between each schnitzel, up to a day ahead or frozen for up to 2 months).

When ready to cook, heat half the butter and half the oil in a large heavy based frypan over a medium-high heat, until the butter is foaming.  Cooking one schnitzel at a time, cook for 3 minutes until golden brown, turn over and cook for 2 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to drain on a tray lined with paper towel.  Keep warm and cook another crumbed schnitzel. After second schnitzel wipe out pan with paper towel and repeat cooking with remaining butter, oil and schnitzels. Alternatively, use two frying pans if you can, using the other half of butter and oil. 

Serve with wedge of lemon to squeeze.  Schnitzels are delicious with mash and sautéed greens or salad.

Note: To make fresh breadcrumbs, blitz 400g of day old bread, torn onto pieces, in a food processor.

Use Panko crumbs as a substitute for the fresh breadcrumbs. Avoid using packets of the dry fine breadcrumbs – it tastes like cardboard.

Fiona Hammond © June 2018 

Recipe, photos and styling by Fiona Hammond. www.fionahammondfood.com