Wiener Schnitzel
- Meat
- Classics
- Main Course
The eponymous breaded and fried veal escalope wasn't actually invented in Vienna - but it surely is where they make it best.
Method
- Preparation time: 45 min
- 4 Portions
Lay out the cutlets, remove any skin and pound until thin. Season on both sides with salt and pepper. Place flour and breadcrumbs into separate flat plates, and beat the eggs together on a further plate using a fork.
Coat each schnitzel on both sides in flour, then draw through the beaten eggs, ensuring that no part of the schnitzel remains dry. Lastly, coat in the breadcrumbs and carefully press down the crumbs using the reverse side of the fork (this causes the crumb coating to “fluff up” better during cooking).
In a large pan (or 2 medium-sized pans), melt sufficient clarified butter for the schnitzel to be able to swim freely in the oil (or heat up the plant oil with 1 – 2 tbsp of clarified butter or butter).
Only place the schnitzel in the pan when the fat is so hot that it hisses and bubbles up if some breadcrumbs or a small piece of butter is added to it.
Depending on the thickness and the type of meat, fry for 2 to 4 minutes until golden brown. Turn using a spatula (do not pierce the coating!) and fry on the other side until it is of similar colour.
Remove the crispy schnitzel and place on kitchen paper to dry off. Dab carefully. Arrange the schnitzel on the plate and garnish with slices of lemon before serving.
Serve with parsley potatoes, rice, potato salad or mixed salad.
Ingredients
Wow effect
When ordering a schnitzel in Austria, it's worth noting that not every schnitzel can be called a Wiener Schnitzel. When it says Wiener Schnitzel on the menu, it refers to a veal escalope that is fried out in clarified butter.
Before breading, the meat is carefully pounded, seasoned and moistened, then dredged in flour, egg and finally breadcrumbs. The breadcrumbs are not pressed down so that they souffle when they are baked. This is how you get that "Wow! It's a real Wiener Schnitzel!" effect.
The predecessor of the Viennese Schnitzel is one of those dishes that originally served representative purposes. To demonstrate a sophisticated lifestyle, the Venetians in the Renaissance covered dishes - especially confectionery - with gold leaf. When the Catholic Church wanted to put a stop on the excesses in 1514 and prohibited the gilding of food by law, Italian cooks turned to an older, alternative preparation method: golden yellow breading.
The meat dish allegedly made its way to Austria around 1857, through the Austrian Field Marshal Radetzky. Legend has it that he took a liking to "Cotoletta a la Milanese" and brought the recipe to the Danube in person. However, the first known mention of Wiener Schnitzel in Austrian cuisine dates back to 1831.