Wiener Schnitzel

Ingredients

• 4 veal escalopes from the topside or leg, 130g each
• 150g plain flour
• 3 eggs
• 2 tbsp double cream
• 200g fine dry breadcrumbs, ideally from stale white rolls
• 400g clarified butter or lard
• 1.5 tsp fine salt
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• Lingonberry jam and parsley potatoes, to serve

Before you cook

• Trim any sinew from the edges of the escalopes and nick the outer membrane in a few places so they do not curl.
• Lay each escalope between two sheets of cling film and beat it out from the centre with the flat side of a mallet until it is 4mm thick.
• Salt both sides of each schnitzel and leave them for 5 minutes.
• Set out three wide shallow dishes with flour in the first, the eggs beaten with the cream in the second, and the breadcrumbs in the third.
• Set a wire rack over a tray for draining.

Steps

1. Pour the clarified butter into a wide, deep frying pan to a depth of at least 1cm and heat it to 170C.
2. Turn one schnitzel through the flour and shake off every loose speck.
3. Draw it through the egg so the whole surface is coated, then let the excess drip back.
4. Lay it in the breadcrumbs and spoon more over the top, pressing only lightly, because crumbs pressed hard cannot puff.
5. Lift the schnitzel by one corner and slide it away from you into the hot fat.
6. Shake the pan continuously in a gentle swirl so the fat washes over the top of the schnitzel and lifts the crumb.
7. Fry for 90 seconds until the underside is a light hazelnut brown.
8. Turn the schnitzel with tongs and fry the second side for 60 to 90 seconds.
9. Lift it onto the rack and let it drain for a moment.
10. Fry the remaining schnitzels one at a time, letting the fat come back up to temperature between each.
11. Blot each schnitzel briefly with kitchen paper.
12. Serve immediately with lemon wedges, lingonberry jam and parsley potatoes.