Chicken Schnitzel (and a different breading technique)

I'm rather fond of German food, including wiener schnitzel, which has nothing to do with hot dogs. Or any sausage, really. It's actually a veal cutlet that's pounded thin and breaded.

Chicken is pretty much my go-to substitution for veal, particularly in dishes like this. So I ended up with chicken schnitzel.

The spice mix I used came from Raw Spice Bar which is another subscriptions service. There are soooo many subscription services. This one is different because you get packets of different spice mixes, so it's not like you need a lot of space to store jars and bottles and bags. And the bags are sealed, so you don't need to use them all right away.

They sent me a couple different boxes. Well, envelopes, actually. You get packets of spices, not jars. One had a cocoa chili rub that I used on steak, a pizza seasoning that I used on chicken and a chipotle salt that I used on popcorn. The ones I got most recently included schnitzel seasoning; caraway, fennel, and anise seasoning; and mustard and horseradish seasoning.

So far, I've only used the schnitzel seasoning from the second batch. I haven't decided what I'll do with the others, but the mustard and horseradish might go into a salad dressing or dipping sauce, and the seedy one will probably go into a rye bread.

So, I decided to use the Schnitzel spice to make some chicken.

This uses my secret breading technique. I used to hate doing any kind of breading. It took three bowls or plates, for the flour, egg, and then the final breading mixture - sometimes bread crumbs, some times more flour.

And then it was messy.

Okay, my technique is still a little messy, but it only requires one bowl, so that's a huge plus. And the breading stays on better. Try it, you'll like it!

Chicken Schnitzel

1/2 cup flour
1 packet Raw Spice Bar schnitzel seasoning
1 large chicken breast or 2 small ones
Mayonnaise, as needed
Olive oil, for cooking

Combine the flour and seasoning. This makes it pretty spicy. If you don't want it as spicy, use half as much spice or twice as much flour.

If you're using the larger chicken breast (you know the ones I mean, right?), use a sharp knife to slice it in half to make two thinner pieces, then pound the two pieces until they're evenly thick and no more than 1/4 inch thick. If you're using smaller breasts, don't split them; just pound thin.

Coat the chicken pieces on both sides with a thin coat of mayonnaise. You don't need a lot. Not even like a sandwich. You can use a pastry brush, or just smear it on with your fingers.

Coat the chicken breasts with the seasoned flour. You can dip them in the flour, or you can sift or sprinkle the flour on.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saute pan until hot. Fry the chicken on both sides until evenly brown and cooked through.

Serve hot.

Thanks to Raw Spice Bar for providing products for me to review; I wasn't required to write a recipe.

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