A crisp, golden brown exterior around a
thin, tender slab of veal – that’s wiener schnitzel perfection and I found it
at Plachuttas Gasthause zur Oper in Vienna.
My European foodcation would not be
complete without trying this Viennese classic.
The dish dates from the mid-19th
century and the Austrians are generous enough to acknowledge that it may have
originated in northern Italy as the costoletta alla milanese – a similar coated, but
thicker veal cutlet.
We have the famous Austrian field marshal
Count Joseph Radetzky, to thank for bringing the recipe back to Vienna from the
Italian territories under the Habsburg rule.
His aide-de-camp added a side note to a report on the situation in
Lombardy about a ‘deliciously breaded veal cutlet’. It was enough to generate interest from the
Emperor who personally requested the recipe on Radetzky’s return.
There’s definitely skill involved in
getting the coating just right. I’ve had
mixed results – sometimes it seems that there’s just no ‘stick’. Have a try with this recipe which is
authentically Viennese. Any tips on how to ensure the coating really sticks
will be gratefully accepted.
Here’s the recipe –
Wiener Schnitzel
(serves four)
600g trimmed veal (silverside or topside)
2 eggs
salt
plain flour
dried breadcrumbs
vegetable oil or clarified butter
Method
1.
Beat the eggs with a fork
2.
Gently pound the schnitzel
3.
Season each side of the meat
with salt
4.
Lay the schnitzel in the flour
and over both sides
5.
Coat with the beaten eggs on
both sides
6.
Coat with the breadcrumbs on
both sides pressing lightly
7.
Fry in hot oil for 3-5 minutes
till brown and drain.
8.
Garnish with lemon and serve.
It’s not hard to find wiener (Viennese)
schnitzel on the menu in Vienna but you will find the schnitzel at PlachuttasGasthaus zur Opera hard to beat.
Disclaimer:
Ed+bK was a guest of the Vienna Tourism Board and stayed at The GuestHouse Vienna.