Wiener Schnitzel

Perfectly cooked veal tonight! The recipe is from The Spruce Eats site.

Ingredients-

4 (5-ounce) veal cutlets (or chicken or pork cutlets)

1/4 cup all-purpose (or brown rice flour)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 large eggs, well beaten

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Oil or lard, for frying

4 slices lemon, garnish

Method-

Gather the ingredients.

Place 4 (5-ounce) veal cutlets between sheets of plastic wrap, and use a heavy, flat-surfaced pan, rolling pin, or meat mallet to pound the meat evenly to a 1/4-inch thickness.

To bread the schnitzels, set up 3 shallow dishes: 

Mix 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt in the first dish, 2 large beaten eggs in the second dish, and 1/2 cup breadcrumbs in the third dish.

In a large skillet, heat at least 1/4-inch of oil to 350 F. 

This takes about 8 minutes, and the oil will just start to shimmer and smoke a bit.

Working one at a time, dredge the cutlets first in flour until the surface is completely dry.

Dip in egg to coat, allow the excess to drip off for a few seconds.

Then roll quickly in the breadcrumbs until coated. 

Do not press the breadcrumbs into the meat, as this will moisten them and not make for a crispy coating. 

The crust should not adhere completely but form a loose shell around the schnitzel.

Immediately place the meat in the pan with the hot oil. 

Do not crowd the pan. 

Cook the schnitzel in batches, if necessary. 

Fry the schnitzel for 2 to 3 minutes on one side, until golden brown. 

Make sure the breaded meat “swims” in fat. 

Contrary to instinct, the breading will take on less oil than if the meat is sticking to the pan. 

Also, the breadcrumb topping has a chance to puff up a little, and your cleanup is easier. 

You may want to swish them around a little with your fork to make sure they are not sticking to the pan.

Turn them over once and fry an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until both sides are golden brown and the meat registers an internal temperature of 145˚F. 

Remove from the pan and allow the oil to drain off. 

Serve traditionally with lemon slices.

Chicken Tortellini Soup

A Quick Tip for Your Leftover Roast Chicken

If you have leftover chicken and a few freezer staples, you have a meal.

Using the remains of a Marcella Hazan roast chicken, I whipped up a quick Chicken Tortellini Soup. I sautéed the "holy trinity" (onion, carrots, and celery), added my frozen stock, and brightened it up with some spinach. By boiling the tortellini separately before adding them to the pot, the pasta stayed perfectly al dente. It’s a great way to make leftovers feel brand new!

The Ultimate Toasted Corned Beef Sandwich

Let’s be honest: St. Patrick’s Day feels like it should be all about the traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage. But here’s my confession—I’ve never quite mastered it. I’ve tried the slow cooker method in the past, and I’ll be the first to admit I wasn't a huge fan of the results.

So this year, we decided to try something a little different. Instead of the big pot of boiled dinner, we went for a Toasted Corned Beef & Swiss Sandwich. By using high-quality ingredients from the deli, you get all those classic Irish flavors in a crispy, melty, much more manageable package!

Ingredients-

• The Bread: Use something sturdy that can handle the heat. A thick-cut Sourdough, Rye, or even a Sourdough-Rye swirl works beautifully.

• The Spread: A 1:1 mix of creamy mayo and sharp Dijon (or whole-grain) mustard.

• The Filling: Thinly sliced corned beef and Swiss cheese from the deli.

• The Crunch: Your favorite deli coleslaw.

• The Finish: A drizzle of olive oil for that perfect golden toast.

Method-
Prep the Sauce: 
In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo and mustard. Set aside.

Assemble:
Spread a generous layer of the mayo-mustard mixture on both slices of bread. 

Lay a slice of Swiss cheese on each piece to act as a "glue." 

Pile on the corned beef and close the sandwich.

The Toast: 

Drizzle both sides of the bread with olive oil.

You can use a panini press, or grill it in a pan until the bread is golden-brown and the cheese is perfectly bubbly.

The Final Touch:
Carefully open the warm sandwich, stuff it with cold, crunchy coleslaw, and serve immediately.

Marcella Hazan’s Roast Chicken With Lemons

Does your library offer Kanopy? It is a video streaming service that you can access with just a library card.

Every week, I get a newsletter that shows new or featured films.  Last week I watched the film Marcella. After watching, I had to try Marcella Hazan’s Roast Chicken With Lemons.

I followed the recipe as it appeared in the New York Times.

My edits are as follows:

• I did not rinse the chicken. Your kitchen, your call.
• Use very small lemons. It's not easy putting 2 lemons in the chicken cavity.
• I did not truss up the opening after putting in the 2 lemons.
• My roast did not ballon up as mentioned in the recipe.

Even with my edits this was the best Roasted Chicken I have ever made. Moist and the flavor was perfect. Any recipe that only has 4 ingredients and tastes like this is going to be on repeat here.

Marcella Hazan’s Roast Chicken With Lemons
Ingredients-
3- to 4-pound chicken
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
2rather small lemons

Method-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Wash the chicken thoroughly in cold water, both inside and out. 

1. Remove all the bits of fat hanging loose. 
   Let the bird sit on a slightly tilted plate for about 10 minutes to allow all the water to drain out. Pat it thoroughly dry all over with a cloth or paper towels.
   
   Sprinkle a generous amount of salt and black pepper on the chicken, rubbing it with your fingers over all its body and into its cavity.
   
   Wash the lemons in cold water and dry them with a towel.
   
   Soften each lemon by placing it on a counter and rolling it back and forth as you put firm downward pressure on it with the palm of your hand.
   
   Puncture the lemons in at least 20 places each, using a sturdy round toothpick, a trussing needle, a sharp-pointed fork, or similar implement.
   
   Place both lemons in the bird's cavity.
   
   Close up the opening with toothpicks or with a trussing needle and string.
   
   Close it well, but don't make an absolutely airtight job of it because the chicken may burst.
   
   Run a kitchen string from one leg to the other, tying it at both knuckle ends. Leave the legs in their natural position without pulling them tight.
   
   If the skin is unbroken, the chicken will puff up as it cooks, and the string serves only to keep the thighs from spreading apart and splitting the skin.
   
   Put the chicken into a roasting pan, breast facing down.
   
   Do not add cooking fat of any kind. This bird is self-basting, so you need not fear it will stick to the pan.
   
   Place it in the upper third of the preheated oven.
   
   After 30 minutes, turn the chicken over to have the breast face up.
   
   When turning it, try not to puncture the skin. If kept intact, the chicken will swell like a balloon, which makes for an arresting presentation at the table later. Do not worry too much about it, however, because even if it fails to swell, the flavor will not be affected.
   
   Cook for another 30 to 35 minutes, then turn the oven thermostat up to 400 degrees, and cook for an additional 20 minutes. Calculate between 20 and 25 minutes total cooking time for each pound. There is no need to turn the chicken again.
   
   Whether your bird has puffed up or not, bring it to the table whole and leave the lemons inside until it is carved and opened.
   
   The juices that run out are perfectly delicious. Be sure to spoon thej juices over the chicken slices.
   
   The lemons will have shriveled up, but they still contain some juice; do not squeeze them, they may squirt.