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Thursday 21 May 2015

Did you say Sneeze ? No I said Schnitzel !

When growing up I was fortunate to have holidays to Austria. I can remember visiting Vienna, and also in particular the beautiful Tyrol area, a truly majestic part of the world to visit.

Image result for austrian tyrol

Austrian Tyrol

One of the dishes I can remember eating was called 'Wiener Schnitzel'. I later discovered it is a popular part of Viennese cuisine (Vienna is of course the capital of Austria). It is a dish made of veal and is traditionally garnished with a slice of lemon and either potato salad or potatoes with parsley and butter. The term 'Wiener Schnitzel' is now a protected geographical indication in both Austria and Germany and can only be made of veal. Apparently if you substitute pork instead of veal the dish must be called 'Wiener Schnitzel vom Schwein' or 'Schnitzel nach Wiener Art' to differentiate it from the veal original ... Schnitzel. Good luck with the pronunciation ...

Image result for schonbrunn palace

Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria.
One of the most important architectural, cultural and historical monuments in the country




Wiener Schnitzel, a traditional Austrian dish

So in my visits to Austria the way I would have eaten a schnitzel was probably similar to this. A boneless meat, thinned with a meat tenderizer, coated with flour, beaten eggs and bread crumbs, and then fried. It is still a popular food in many countries, and can be made from veal, mutton, chicken, beef, turkey, or pork.

Roll forward to 2015 and the way I would eat a Schnitzel now is how Libby at 'Ditch The Carbs' Blog prepares and cooks hers. Here is what she does:

Schnitzel

ALMOND AND HERB CRUSTED SCHNITZEL

Using almond meal, or ground almonds, is a great substitute for bread crumbs or flour. It coats easily, frys well and is free from wheat, grains and gluten and extremely low in carbs.

Any leftover almond and herb crusted schnitzel are great for lunch boxes or chopped on a salad.

Variations:
Use any choice of dried or fresh herb e.g. rosemary, thyme, basil, garlic,
Use chicken, turkey or pork schnitzel.
Use the almond and herb crust for fish nibbles.


INGREDIENTS:
Serves Four
4 pieces of beef schnitzel
2 eggs
1 cup almond meal
2 tbs grated parmesan
zest of 1 handful of fresh chopped parsley
butter for frying


INSTRUCTIONS:
1. In a small bowl, beat the eggs with a fork until fully combined. In a second small bowl, mix the almond meal, herbs, lemon zest and parmesan.
2. Heat the frying pan on a low/medium heat and add butter so the almond, herb crust doesn't stick and to give the crust a lovely buttery flavour.
3. Dip one piece of schnitzel at a time into the egg mixture to ensure both sides are covered. Lift to allow the excess egg mixture to drain, then place each side in the almond mixture so that it is fully coated.
4. Place gently into the frying pan, adding more butter as they cook and absorb the butter from the pan.
5. Cook until golden on both sides. Generally this only takes about 2-3 minutes each side.
6. Serve with cream cheese. and more fresh herbs.

See Libby's Original Recipe Idea Here

All the best Jan

7 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

the austrian view is wonderful! i'm not a fan of veal so would have to have the longer-wordy version. :)

Lowcarb team member said...

Hi TexWisGirl .. aka Theresa. The views in Austria that I was fortunate to see were all wonderful and quite majestic.

I think others may also prefer the pork recipe the pronunciation is not easy though!

All the best Jan

Gail said...

Looks delicious

tess said...

Coincidentally, I made wiener schnitzel last week. For the initial coating, I used coconut flour, then thinned beaten egg, then pork-rind crumbs, and fried in lard. It was heavenly! :-)

Amy at Ms. Toody Goo Shoes said...

That sounds and looks delicious! And that photo of Tyrol - oh, I'd love to go there!

Carla from The River said...

Yum! I think it sounds just wonderful.
I have never tried it but will put it on my to make list. :-)

Lowcarb team member said...

Hi Gail ... many thanks for your comment. The almond and herb crusted schnitzel looks delicious and tastes delicious.


Hi Tess ...as always great to hear from you. Your recipe idea sounds a winner, and fried in lard, definitely heavenly!


Hi Amy ... many thanks for your comment. The low carb recipe idea from Libby is certainly delicious. If you should ever get to the Tyrol I'm sure you'd enjoy it.


Hi Carla ... and thanks for your comments. Do please let us know if you try this recipe .. I'm sure you will enjoy it.

Well, with the weekend almost here, hope everyone has a relaxing time. Thanks to all for reading and special thanks to those who stopped by and left comments.

All the best Jan