Schnitzel is not a traditional Greek dish but it is so very good and I thought it would be something different. I make it quite often, in its plain form, but then I thought that with a little tweak it would go up a notch! It is quite easy to make and it lends a festive air to the family table. I am giving you the recipe for two persons, but it is easy to increase the ingredients for more people. This is basically an add-what-you-like-best recipe and it is fun!
Ingredients 2 pieces of schnitzel (you should buy a fair sized piece for each person. If the schnitzels are small get two pieces for each person. You can have veal or pork schnitzels. Personally, I think that pork schnitzels are more tender.) 1 slice of turkey for each person 2 tablespoonfuls of grated parmesan cheese for each schnitzel (you can use any kind of cheese you wish, but the parmesan doesn’t melt and run out of the meat) 2 tablespoonfuls of butter or margarine 2 tablespoonfuls chives finely chopped 2 tablespoonfuls rosemary finely chopped 2 tablespoonfuls estragon finely chopped (you can use whatever herbs you like) Juice of a small lemon Salt, pepper 1 egg lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water Flour Breadcrumbs 2 tablespoonfuls margarine and 2 tablespoonfuls oil for frying
Directions
Place the schnitzels on a board and beat them lightly with a wooden pestle or a meat hammer until they are about ½ centimeter thick. Place them on a plate, drizzle the lemon juice over them and sprinkle some salt and pepper. Leave them for about half an hour to rest.
Put the chives, the estragon and the rosemary in the margarine and mix them well.
Now, take the schnitzels and spread one tablespoonful of margarine on each one. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the butter and place one slice of turkey. If the schnitzels are quite large you can fold them in two. If they are on the small side, take the second piece of schnitzel and place it over the turkey.
In a deep dish, beat the egg lightly with the water. Put some flour on one plate together with some salt and pepper and some bread crumbs on another plate.
Carefully lift one schnitzel at a time and place it in the flour. Turn it over until it is completely covered with flour on both sides. Lift it carefully again from the flour and place it in the dish with the beaten egg. Turn it over until both sides are covered with the egg. Once more, lift the schnitzel and now place it in the bread crumbs, again turning it over until it is covered on both sides. Do the same with all the schnitzels. (It is not so difficult as it sounds!) Place the schnitzels on a plate or a tray and put them in the fridge. Leave them for 30 minutes to an hour, so that the bread crumbs adhere to the meat and they don’t come off during frying.
Put the margarine and oil in a large non-stick pan. When it is hot, place the schnitzels in the pan and immediately turn down the fire to medium low. The bread crumbs burn easily. Fry for 2 – 3 minutes and turn them over to fry the other side for a couple of minutes. Place the schnitzels in a baking pan and bake them in a preheated oven (180oC) for 15 – 20 minutes.
Place each schnitzel on a plate and you can serve it with mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes, rice, a mixture of peas, carrots and corn, or whatever else you like, and a nice green salad.