Recipe
Wiener Schnitzel
Classically served with veal, fine breadcrumbs, clarified butter and potato salad.
For a good Wiener Schnitzel, you do not need a complicated list, but clean work: good veal, fine breadcrumbs, hot clarified butter and calm while frying.
What matters above all is the loose coating. It must not be pressed on and has to rise slightly in the hot fat. This is exactly how the typical golden crust is created, crisp on the outside and light on the inside.
1. Prepare the meat
Trim the veal cutlets cleanly. Carefully remove any skin and firmer edges. Then cut the pieces across the grain into even portions.
2. Slice thinly and pound
Open the cutlets slightly and gently pound them between cling film to about 4 mm thick. This keeps the meat tender and allows it to cook evenly.
3. Season
Season both sides sparingly with salt and a little pepper. The meat should taste clear, the seasoning is deliberately restrained.
4. Prepare the breading station
Put flour into the first bowl. Beat the eggs well in the second bowl. Fill fine breadcrumbs into the third bowl. Then coat the cutlets first in flour, then in egg and finally loosely in the breadcrumbs.
5. Press the breadcrumbs only lightly
Do not press the breadcrumbs down firmly. This loose coating is exactly what matters so that it rises slightly during frying and forms the typical wavy crust.
6. Fry in clarified butter
Heat clarified butter in a large pan to about 170–175 °C. The schnitzel should be able to float in the fat. Fry for about 1½ to 2 minutes per side until golden yellow. Move the pan lightly or spoon some fat over it while frying.
7. Drain and serve at once
Let the finished schnitzel drain briefly on kitchen paper and serve at once with a lemon wedge and classic potato salad.