What's for Dinner - #81 - the Planting Month - May 2022

That’s my kind of meal.

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So from a professed chicken cutlet eater-repeater :), what is the difference between that and a chicken schnitzel?

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Schnitzel literally means Cutlet in German. Same thing.

Chives are called Schnittlauch because you cut them.

Technically, a top quality schnitzel is pounded very thin before being breaded and fried.

I don’t know if cutlets need to be pounded thin, to be considered good ones.

Scallopine is usually pounded thin like good schnitzel.

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I was curious if @gcaggiano made his schnitzel any differently than he makes his cutlets, since he says he eats cutlets weekly :slight_smile:

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Oh okay! Sorry for being pedant!

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Made a few quick goi cuan not feeling like cooking or eating much

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So my “usual” cutlets are a blend of Italian breadcrumbs, a little bit of panko, lots of Pecorino, and various seasonings.

Schnitzel I followed a recipe (loosely, not sure how authentic it is) using crushed Ritz crackers and plain panko, in addition to paprika and garlic/onion powders in the breading. Also Dijon mustard in the egg mixture.

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Tonight’s dinner was a shrimp salad. The shrimp was poached in a little water with a lemongrass stalk and lime leaf. The shrimp was tossed in a dressing of fish sauce, Sriracha, lime juice and herbs (basil, mint, coriander). Summer is here!

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So in Vienna, Austria, they tend to use salt-and-pepper seasoned dry breadcrumbs (finer than panko), and it needs to be pan versus deep fried. And there’s this trick that makes it different from just a regular ol’ cutlet:

"“Where I come from we prefer a crisp, light schnitzel with a crust that rises like a soufflé.”

The secret, he said, is to trap air in the crust when you cook the meat by moving and shaking the pan. After dipping the veal in flour, egg and bread crumbs, he put a cutlet in the skillet, swirling it so the hot oil undulated over the cutlet in waves. This motion creates steam that lifts the crust away from the meat, allowing the bread crumbs to crisp without sticking to the veal in a gummy mass.

Indeed, his schnitzel was a golden, gorgeous thing, with a puffy crust that shattered at the touch of a fork, and tender meat within. He served it with cucumber salad and lingonberry jam."

“because the cutlets were not quite one-eighth-inch thick — the proper thickness for schnitzel, according to mr. lohninger — i pounded them a little with a rolling pin. then, without handling them too much, i gently dipped them in flour, egg and bread crumbs. when they were all nicely coated, i dropped a cutlet in hot oil, swirling the pan as instructed. the meat puffed slightly and browned beautifully. the chicken was soft and savory (thanks to a pinch of cayenne and nutmeg) beneath the ultra-crisp crust.”

Here’s a recipe from Gourmet’s Old Vienna Cookbook:

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Tonight I made (boxed) jambalaya with real Cajun green-onion sausage. I doctored it with the Trinity and served with air-fried okra.

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Thanks for the info! Mine are always pan fried.

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That okra looks delicious!

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Adapted Smitten Kitchen’s Skillet Ravioli with Spinach to use some tortellini, baby kale and spinach mix, and Boursin. I also added some Calabrian chiles. Parmesan at the end. Excellent!


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Potato salad


Pork Sausage from a local butcher, like a farmer’s sausage

Maroulosalata

Green beans and vidalia with lemon and dill

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I liked it, but my usually non-picky husband didn’t eat his. I think maybe it was too chewy? :woman_shrugging:t2:More for me.

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Confession: I like slightly chewy / woody okra.
Was yours chewy because of the air fryer or because it was allowed to grow large before picking, i.e. was not tender?

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Grilled flat iron and purple asparagus. The flat iron had Joe Beef Melange du Boucher and horseradish, the asparagus oo and Aleppo pepper. A large salad of romaine, radicchio, green onion, celery, avocado, orange baby bells, pickled beets, blue cheese with blue cheese dressing. Yup double blue.

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Woks of Life chicken and asparagus stir-fry. The recipe says it serves four, but even with a little extra chicken, the two of us devoured it. Recommended by someone here on HO (wish I could remember who so I could thank them), this was my first time making the recipe. We both thought it was very tasty (and so easy to make). I’ve added it to the list of dishes to make during asparagus season.

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Carnitas mulitas

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That ciabatta roll looks awesome! Might I ask (hopefully and with pleading) what recipe you used?