We borrowed this recipe from A Taste of Elegance, the cookbook master chef Rudi Sodamin authored for the Holland America cruise line. In it, he explained, "Schnitzel is an all-occasion food for Austrians, but it's eaten most commonly as a Sunday meal." Sodamin suggests you garnish the dish with lemon wedges and serve it with vegetables, French fries, rice, or potato salad.
Wiener Schnitzel
Serves 4
1 ½ lbs. veal cutlets, cut slightly more than 1/4-inch thick
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1 Tbs. whole milk
2 tsp. water
1 cup dry breadcrumbs, medium-coarse texture*
¼ cup canola or light olive oil
¼ cup clarified butter
*breadcrumbs can be purchased or homemade in a food processor from day-old French or Italian bread
Directions: Heat the oven to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Place each veal cutlet between pieces of plastic wrap and pound to a 1/4 -inch thickness with a meat mallet. Set aside.
Mix the flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Beat the eggs with the milk and water in another shallow dish. Put the breadcrumbs on a plate and place a wire rack over a sheet pan.
Lightly coat each veal cutlet in the flour mixture, then dip it in the beaten eggs. Place it on the plate with the breadcrumbs and pat the crumbs on both sides so they adhere and the cutlet is completely coated. Repeat with the remaining cutlets.
In a 10- or 12-inch frying pan or cast-iron skillet, heat the canola oil land butter over medium-high heat. There should be ½ inch of fat in the pan, so add more oil if necessary. When the oil mixture is very hot but not smoking, add just enough breaded cutlets to fit comfortably in the pan. Cook, turning once, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Transfer each finished batch to the rack and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.
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