r/Cooking • u/Worth_Replacement398 • 3d ago
Different schnitzel recipe advice needed
I am going to be making a dinner for a very lovely woman, and I don't want to screw it up.
I've made schnitzel plenty of times, but only with pork, and I have pretty much perfected it. This woman is Muslim, and so I'd like to use chicken for the schnitzel this time. I've never made it with chicken and I don't want to make a shitty end product, so I was wondering if there is anything I need to do differently with chicken as opposed to pork, when making the schnitzel.
The full meal would be:
-Hühnerschnitzel (Replacing JägerSchnitzel)
Pounded flat and bathed in vodka (vodka to facilitate the "puff" since the vapor pressure of ethanol is higher at any given temperature)
breading (salt, pepper, white pepper, nutmeg, tiny amounts of ground ginger and chili pepper)
Fried at 320 F until golden brown
Served with thin sliced lemons and/or portabella mushroom sauce of my own recipe (both will be available)
-Spaetzle sauteed in butter and seasoned with parsley
(White flour, egg, nutmeg, white pepper, salt)
-Rotkohl
-White wine (Maybe pinot grigio, id like advice on wine pairings as well)
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u/Rolled_a_nat_1 3d ago
You should be fine subbing in chicken with no other changes. I’ve always done flour egg breading to help adhesion but that might be a difference in recipe not a difference in meats. You may want to add a little extra spice/herb since chicken isn’t as flavorful or fatty of a meat, but other than that you should be set! I’d also recommend using a test piece to check cooking time since it might cook a little faster or slower than you’re used to, but the principals are all the same. I’m sure she’ll love a schnitzel that has that much attention put into it!
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u/CatteNappe 3d ago
I've used pounded chicken, pork and veal pretty much interchangeably for schnitzel. If you've got a recipe that works well with one protein it should serve you well with another. Maybe do a trial run before the official day to make sure.
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u/ttrockwood 3d ago
Certainly do a test batch ahead of time but yeah should be fine
I would want the cabbage to be a crunchy thing so maybe keep that al dente and a heavy hand with the vinegar
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u/TooManyDraculas 3d ago
Pounded flat and bathed in vodka (vodka to facilitate the "puff" since the vapor pressure of ethanol is higher at any given temperature)
That likely won't work the way you think it will. IIRC the puff has more to do with frying temperature, and weather you dust the meat with flour before the wet stage.
When you're tossing something into 350-400F oil there's not gonna me that much difference in how quickly it puffs, and if the coating isn't set before it does so it ain't gonna do shit. With water there's also nothing to bind the bread crumbs into a consistent coating. You likely need some flour or egg at least.
And it's also likely to be a problem for your Muslim friend.
Alcohol is Haram, even when used for cooking. If she's eating Halal that's almost certainly a no go.
Obviously the wine might be an issue as well.
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u/Worth_Replacement398 3d ago
The egg is added. This part of the recipe is what i've been using to great results, and my main question was more so if this works for any version of schnitzel, or if i need to do something different for chicken schnitzel, given it's a leaner (and wetter) meat.
She drinks alcohol, and occasionally pork, but i'd rather just play it safe with chicken. Alcohol for her is fine.
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u/YesWeHaveNoTomatoes 3d ago edited 3d ago
Officially Islam bans consumption of alcohol, although not all Muslims actually obstain. So she may or may not be okay with the wine ... do you know if she drinks or not? If not, is she okay with eating things cooked with alcohol? Some Muslims feel like it all cooks off and is therefore OK but I'm not sure a majority agree with that.