In Austrian cuisine, there is probably no dish more characteristic of Vienna than the Wiener Schnitzel. Its origin is the subject of numerous legends, but there is one thing Austrians agree on: Only premium veal fried golden brown will do (although we have a Chicken Schnitzel too if you prefer).
At Kipferl in Camden Passage we serve the one true Wiener Schnitzel, as our ancestors in Austria made it over a century ago.
Here is the recipe for you:
Ingredients for 2 people:
300g of veal topside
Flour
3 eggs
Austrian/German breadcrumbs (you can find them in our webshop).
Salt&pepper
Liquified butter or sunflower oil to fry the Schnitzel
Medium sized potatoes
Parsley
In Austria we use a special type of veal called “Milchkalb”, which has only been fed with milk, keeping the meat very tender and almost white.
Here in the UK we use veal topside, sliced thinly and then tenderised until you have a very thin layer of meat.
My grandma’s special tip: before you put salt and pepper, put a few drops of water on the meat, this water will evaporate when you put the Schnitzel in the hot fat and will create the traditional “bubbles” that make the Wiener Schnitzel breading so special.
Then put the slices of veal in flower, cover it well, then leave in the egg for a minute, take it out and put it in a box with breadcrumbs. Don’t push it too hard, the bread will stick on the Schnitzel and if you push too much the breading will be too dense.
In a pan heat up the clarified butter (if you use sunflower oil put a spoon of butter or ghee in with it) and fry on both sides until golden. While frying use a spoon and cover the top side of the Schnitzel with the hot oil from the pan, that will make the breading golden and uniform.
In the meantime, put the boiled potatoes in a pan with some butter and fry until crunchy, add parsley shortly before serving.
Then take the Schnitzel out of the pan and put them on kitchen paper to dry off the excess oil and serve with parsley potatoes.
Don’t forget a piece of lemon and a side of lingonberry compote (you can find the most famous one from Vienna on our website too) or cranberry jam.
“Mahlzeit !”
Hubert Zanier
