2 large pieces of chicken schnitzel on a paper towel on a plate

This may not be a traditional Greek recipe, but it is very popular with children and families here. It’s almost the only way my kids will eat chicken, and when fried with extra virgin olive oil it is fine for our health, so I don’t object. To save yourself trouble, ask your butcher to prepare your chicken breast fillets for schnitzel for you.

 

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ kg (about 3.3 pounds) chicken breast fillet prepared for schnitzel
  • Flour as needed to coat chicken
  • 2 cups fine dry bread crumbs (as from well toasted bread)
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • Salt, pepper, and mustard powder or prepared mustard to taste
  • Extra virgin olive oil for frying

 

Directions

If your butcher doesn’t prepare your chicken breast for schnitzel for you, and it is in thick pieces, slice it to make thinner pieces. Then you can put it between sheets of plastic wrap or baking powder, or in a thick, sealed plastic bag, and pound it with a meat pounder, rolling pin, or pan so it’s an even thinness all over (usually 1/4 inch thick or less, a bit more than ½ a centimeter). It doesn’t have to be too thin or well pounded to come out well.

Lay out chicken pieces on baking paper or another clean, flat surface. Shake on salt, pepper, and dried mustard powder (or spread on some prepared mustard) as desired.

Put some flour on a plate. Put each piece of chicken into the flour to coat it lightly, top and bottom. There’s no need to wet the chicken or coat it with a thick layer of flour.

Beat together the egg and milk and pour it into a wide, shallow bowl or other container where pieces of chicken will fit.

Pour the bread crumbs onto another plate or container.

Dip each piece of chicken into the milk-egg mixture and then into the bread crumbs to coat each side, and set aside.

Pour extra virgin olive oil into a frying pan so it’s less than 1 centimeter deep (less than half an inch). Heat the oil on high heat until it’s hot enough to bubble energetically when the chicken is put in. (Use a small piece of chicken to check the oil if you’re not sure.)

Turn the heat down to medium high when the oil is hot, and fry the chicken approximately 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown. The color will vary depending on the type of bread crumbs used (white or whole wheat, for example), and the timing will vary as well.

Place fried schnitzel on paper towels on a plate to drain and cool. I do recommend extra virgin olive oil for frying, especially at home where you will not try to re-use it excessively; it is the healthiest oil to use, and it works well at typical frying temperatures.

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