Let's Talk About Shnitzel

Let's talk about the schnitzel, specifically chicken schnitzel.  This a staple dish on most Sabbath tables.  This apparently simple simple dish is really a minefield.

1. Breading technique:  You need to go with the standard 3 step breading process.  First flour lightly, then coat in egg, then a light breading.  Make sure both the breading and the flour are well seasoned.  Don't be afraid to make your breading interesting, plain bread crumbs are boring.  See my recipe at the end of the post.

2. Shape and size:  Your pieces should be uniform in shape and size, and not too thick.  This ensures even cooking of all pieces.  If your pieces are too thick the breading will burn before you chicken finishes cooking.

3. Don't be  afraid to fry:  I find baked schnitzel dry and tasteless.  Use a good amount of vegetable oil and make sure it is up to temperature.  I use medium heat but it may vary based on the stove you are using.  If you find your breading is getting too dark before the chicken is cooked though either adjust you temperature down or finish your schnitzel in the oven.

 Breading Recipe:
For 2-3 packs of boneless skinless chicken breast
3/4 of a box of panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup of sesame seeds
3/4 cups of French's Onions
2 Tblsp of garlic powder
1 tsp of black pepper
1 Tbsp of salt
1 Tbsp of paprika 

Other things you could add: Cereal(Crispix, Chex, Corn Flakes), Coconut, Potato Flakes (if you want to go gluten free or kosher for Passover)

One last note, dipping sauces can really jazz up you schnitzel.  Some options are, spicy Buffalo wing, honey garlic, honey mustard, BBQ, and Teriyaki. 

First Look at The Main Grill

First Look at The Main Grill

 

 

 

I picked up some take-out from The Main Grill yesterday.  I ordered a two piece fried chicken, my wife had the baykon burger, and my kids each had hot dogs.  The burger and chicken came with fries and the hot dogs were supposed to come with chips which I was told were "round fries."  I also ordered a side order of sweet potato fries.

I had a taste of the burger and it wasn't bad, but nothing to write home about.  There was one  notable feature to the burger, it came with chipotle mayo, which is a condiment that I am generally fond of.

I also had a bite of my kids hot dogs which was decent.

The fried chicken was breaded as opposed to a traditional batter or flour dredge.  The guy behind the counter did not know what type pieces came in the order.  I asked for one dark and one white, and they gave me a leg and a breast.  The breast was semi-boneless, and by that I mean it looks like the tried to pass off a piece of shnitzel as fried chicken, but did a poor job boning it.  It was also a little over done.

Both the regular fries and the sweet potato fries were under done and under seasoned.  The hot dogs just came with regular fries, which makes me sad, as I really like round fries, as they remind me of old school fries from Kosher City.

As for the look of the restaurant, they have a semi open kitchen, which is not a great thing, unless you like watching your dinner being tossed in the fryer.  They have a decent looking salad bar.  Based on the decor you can tell this was a different restaurant at one point.  There were 2 different types of tables and 2 different types of chairs. Also for some reason they have a "Subsational" sign.

A quick post about a quick dinner

I had some leftover chicken and corned beef chips so I made some quick fried rice for dinner.  I seasoned it with black pepper, garlic powder, soy sauce, ground ginger, szechwan peppercorns, yellow mustard seed, and green cardamon.  My wife thought the szechwan peppercorns were to spicy, and I think the cardamon was to strong of a flavor.

What do you put in your fried rice?  Put it in the comments.