Smoky Chicken Schnitzel with Honey-Mustard Salad
Rachael's spin on schnitzel gets a kick of smokiness from her secret ingredient – smokehouse almonds! This recipe is super-easy to prepare and sure to leave a crowd begging for more. It would be great made with pork or veal, too.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds), butterflied
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup flour, for dredging
- 4 teaspoons smoked sweet paprika
- 2 eggs
- 3 ounces smokehouse-style almonds (half of a 6-ounce can)
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons canola oil, plus additional as needed
- 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 1/4 cup chopped dill
- 1 pack radishes, chopped
- 1 English (seedless) cucumber, chopped
- 1 head romaine lettuce, stem removed and chopped
- 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges, for garnish
- 2 large deli-style pickles, chopped, for garnish
Preparation
Place each butterflied chicken breast into a large, sealable plastic bag with a just a drizzle of water (don't seal it too well or the bag will explode!). Pound them into thin cutlets using a heavy-bottomed skillet or meat mallet. Once pounded thin, remove them from the bag, pat them dry and season each breast with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Place the breadcrumbs, almonds and parsley into a food processor. Pulse until fine.
Set up three pans on the counter: in one pan, combine the flour and smoked paprika. In the second pan, beat the eggs. In the third pan, place the almond-breadcrumb mixture.
Dredge the pounded-out chicken breasts in the seasoned flour, then dip them in the beaten eggs and coat them in the ground almond and breadcrumb mixture, pressing each breast into the mixture slightly to make sure the almonds stick. Reserve the coated breasts on a plate as you finish them.
Wash your hands after handling the raw poultry.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, pre-heat the canola oil. Cook each of the cutlets in the hot oil until brown on each side and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Work in batches to cook all of the schnitzel. Keep the finished cutlets warm on a plate covered with aluminum foil. If necessary, add another tablespoon of oil to the pan between batches.
While the chicken is cooking, combine the mustard, honey and cider vinegar in a large salad bowl. Drizzle in the EVOO while whisking, then stir in the chopped dill and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss the radishes, cucumbers and lettuce in the dressing to coat.
Serve the schnitzel with a couple wedges of lemon, some chopped pickles and the honey-mustard salad alongside.
