Wiener Schnitzel with Sour Cream Cucumber Salad & Dilled Baby New Potatoes
Thinly slice a small red onion and soak in a bowl of ice water–this will help remove the sharpness. Wrap cucumber slices in a dish towel and squeeze to extract the moisture. Place them in a large bowl. Drain onion slices, dry and add to cucumbers.
Mix together 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 tablespoon Champagne vinegar, freshly ground pepper and a pinch of kosher salt. Toss cucumbers and onions with the dressing and set aside until time to serve, so that the flavors will meld together.
Trim 2 pounds of Baby New Potatoes by peeling a strip around the middle. Boil in salted water for 20 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside. When almost ready to serve meal, melt 2 tablespoons good quality butter in a large skillet. Saute potatoes, tossing often, for about 10 minutes, until golden. Finish by mixing in 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, Maldon or sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Like many other great dishes, Wiener Schnitzel is a “borrowed” recipe, said to have been inspired by the Italians’ Veal Milanese. The first step of this dish is not only fun, you can get your frustrations out at the same time. Using a meat mallet, pound out your veal, to ensure your cutlets will be thin and crispy. Season the cutlets with salt and pepper.
Set up a dredging station: in a plate, spread out 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (preferably Wondra); in a pie plate or shallow bowl, whisk together 2 eggs with 1/4 cup milk and season with salt and pepper; in another pie plate, add 1 cup panko breadcrumbs. You can also use regular breadcrumbs, but I prefer panko because of their uber-crunchiness.
Fill each of 2 skillets, preferably cast iron, with about an inch of canola oil and heat over a medium flame until oil is shimmering. Begin dredging the veal first in the flour, the egg mixture, and then the panko crumbs. Immediately place cutlets in the hot oil and fry, turning once they become golden brown. Be careful not to crowd the pan with too many cutlets, or you’ll steam rather than fry your meat. When both sides are crisp and golden (10 to 12 minutes total cooking time), place cutlets on a paper towel lined plate to drain. Place the thin slices of one large lemon in the hot fat left in the skillets to fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve as garnish with the cutlets.
To add that extra authentic touch, I heated some pickled red cabbage (yes, out of the jar–I admit it!) in a small saucepan with a little bit of water, a 1/2 teaspoon of caraway seeds, and a small drizzle of honey. Made a nice little extra on the plate.
Serves 4: