Question for Schnitzel fans

[Jenise]

I love schnitzel and prepare it from both pork and chicken all the time with the usual trio: flour, egg, panko. Read a recipe recently that surprised me by calling for corn starch and baking powder in the flour component.

This isn't a biscuit. A scnitzel doesn't rise. Why the BP, do you think?

It is rising, actually. Tiny bubbles near the surface of the chicken makes the crust lighter and more likely to crisp up.

[Jenise]

Okay! Will give it a try soon.

I think of Schnitzel as being veal, viz Wiener Schnitzel !

shnitzels-sold.png

This constantly updating counter of Wiener Schnitzels sold in the city is in Vienna railway station.

I find schnitzels rather dry. Italian restaurants here sell chicken schnitzels ' ala Milanese' with spaghetti pomodoro as standard. But is prefer Veal Holstein which is a schnitzel with anchovies, capers and a fried egg on top. Breaking the yolk gives me the necessary moisture

[Jenise]

Veal is the best, but not even possible where I live. Pork tenderloin is pretty equal to veal, and chicken's great too. The only moisture I need (or want) is a good lemon.

[Jenise]

So last night made schnitzel with not just flour but a blend of flour/corn starch/baking powder. Any difference? NONE.

To derail the discussion a little - a little Kulcha from Down Under.

Just about every pub in Australia offers the "schnitty" on its menu - a variation being the "parmy" which is schnitzel parmagiana. They are cheap, for the most part, and I'm told that sometimes they are good. I do not like pub schnitzels which nearly always look too large and can be tough. Often, they are deep-fried, which I don't think helps.

You can probably sense that I don't have much time for pub schnitzels.

To add to this, Australian toilet humour has joined with the tradition of the cheap schnitzel to create this monster - a franchise chain of restaurants called The Schnithouse. There are two or three in our fair city. I don't know if this is homegrown, or if the franchise originated elsewhere. All I know is, I probably won't eat there.

https://www.schnithouse.com.au/

I don't know if this is homegrown, or if the franchise originated elsewhere. All I know is, I probably won't eat there.

Looking at the Franchise page it appears Australia alone can take the credit....

I was going to ask you for suggestions for food for my World Lockdown Tour. I've had various suggestions, but have been unable to source kangaroo meat and there's no way I'm going to serve Vegemite on Toast for dinner. I did see a lot of pie shops when I was there, but otherwise the food seemed pretty international.

Schnitzels I intend to use for Austria

Damper.
Barramundi.
A slice of beet on a hamburger.
ANZAC biscuits?

Jeff is on the money: if you can source barramundi, Peter, try that. I don't know if we export it to the UK but I dare say we do. It's a good eating fish. Barramundi are native to the waters of northern Australia and south-east Asia, both the ocean and estuaries, lagoons and coastal rivers. They're big fish; they have white flaky flesh and a mild flavour. Roasted whole fish, grilled or pan-fried fillets - they're good eating.

I don't know if we export King George Whiting to the UK - they're becoming increasingly scarce, so maybe we don't. King George Whiting is an endemic southern Australian fish caught in coastal waters. It's a delicate, delicious fish, that - IMO - should be enjoyed unadulterated by sauces and flavourings of any kind.

You could try an Australian breakfast of smashed avocado on toast. Put a couple of poached eggs on top, or crumble some feta on it, or spread the toast with vegemite before you put the avocado on. Or all three if you like. (Vegemite and avocado on toast is a personal favourite of mine for a breakfast at home.)

Smashed avocado is served at many cafes as a breakfast or lunch offering, and not many years ago there was a furore in local news when a millionaire businessman being interviewed on a current affairs show about a crisis in the housing market suggested that young people weren't able to save for a house deposit because they were wasting their money on eating smashed avocado at cafes at $22 a pop.

In terms of representative Australian foods that you might find on the menu for a midweek meal in a suburban household, things like chicken stir-fry and pasta with various sauces are fairly common these days. More Australian families would eat things like this than would sit down on a week-night to a plateful of kangaroo or barramundi. Peter is right: the food is fairly international.

And don't forget: if you have a hamburger, it has to have both sliced beetroot and a ring of canned pineapple on it.

[Jenise]

Peter, make spaghetti bolognese but call it "spagbol". Done.

Hmmm...

Pretty much what I thought.

Thanks.

I grew up with what might now be called Milanese schnitzel. No tomato sauce but crumbs seasoned with grated cheese, Parm. Sometimes crumbs were highly seasoned with parsley, garlic, pepper, pepperoncino as well and then cheese would be a Pecorino.
Nowadays I am baking schnitzel. No flour or egg but the above crumb mixtures moistened with olive oil, pressed hard onto cutlets then placed on a foil lined rack in the oven. Browned on an upper rack for the last few minutes if needed.
Crumbs seem to stay crispy longer

Responding to the original question chicken and pork most commonly. I have even deboned veal rib chops, sliced thin and pounded. In the remote past when sweetbreads were dirt cheap they were delicious prepared this way with just a squeeze of lemon to serve.

[Jenise]

https://www.schnithouse.com.au/

Just looked at the link. I get your disgust, but have to admit I think the varied protein options are kind of cute when called things like Pig in Schnit and Bull Schnit.

[Jenise]

Nowadays I am baking schnitzel. No flour or egg but the above crumb mixtures moistened with olive oil, pressed hard onto cutlets then placed on a foil lined rack in the oven. Browned on an upper rack for the last few minutes if needed.
Crumbs seem to stay crispy longer

This makes so much sense!!!

Forget the baking soda, bring on the Tito's
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/08/dini ... bf1bded42c

[Jenise]

Wow, that's interesting. Can't say I ever thought the crust clinging to the meat was a problem that needed solving, but it's interesting nonetheless.