Sesame schnitzel with olive oil and lemon mash

Name: Sesame schnitzel with olive oil and lemon mash
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Israeli and Mediterranean
Ingredients: 360 g Skinless chicken breast escalopes (150 g each) (4 small escalopes of 90 g, flattened to 5 mm by the butcher); 700 g Potatoes (4–5 medium potatoes, about 600 g once peeled, a floury variety; nutrition uses the peeled weight); 70 g Pareve panko breadcrumbs (Japanese breadcrumbs, certified pareve; or ordinary breadcrumbs); 15 g Sesame seeds (1 1/2 heaped tbsp, mixed with the panko); 30 g Plain wheat flour (3 level tbsp, for a light flour coating); 55 g Eggs (1 egg, without its shell); 10 g Hot Dijon-style mustard (2 tsp, beaten with the egg); 5 g Garlic (1 clove, crushed into the egg); 400 g Sunflower oil, for frying or as a neutral oil (Oil about 1 cm deep in a 28 cm pan; nutrition counts 50 g actually absorbed by the four escalopes (8–12% of their breaded weight); the rest of the frying oil is not consumed); 50 g Extra virgin olive oil (5 tbsp, in the mash); 1000 g Water (1 L tap water to cook the potatoes; reserve 150 g to loosen the mash and discard the rest); 10 g Coarse salt (1 level tbsp for the cooking water (10 g per litre); nutrition counts only what the potatoes absorb and the reserved water); 120 g Lemon (1 unwaxed lemon: zest and 10 g juice (1 tbsp) in the mash, the rest in wedges at the table); 6 g Fine salt (3 g (1/2 tsp) in the mash, 2 g on the escalopes (kosher chicken is already a little salty), 1 g in the flour); 1 g Ground black pepper (A few turns of the mill, on the escalopes and in the mash); 2 g Sweet paprika (3/4 tsp, in the flour)

meat main dish · Israeli and Mediterranean · 3/5 · medium · 45 min, including 30 hands-on

An everyday dinner in Israeli homes: thin chicken escalopes coated in panko and sesame, with garlic in the egg, fried just before serving; alongside, pareve mash with olive oil and lemon zest, loosened with potato cooking water.

Ingredients for two

360 g	Skinless chicken breast escalopes (150 g each) 4 small escalopes of 90 g, flattened to 5 mm by the butcher
700 g	Potatoes 4–5 medium potatoes, about 600 g once peeled, a floury variety; nutrition uses the peeled weight
70 g	Pareve panko breadcrumbs Japanese breadcrumbs, certified pareve; or ordinary breadcrumbs
15 g	Sesame seeds 1 1/2 heaped tbsp, mixed with the panko
30 g	Plain wheat flour 3 level tbsp, for a light flour coating
55 g	Eggs 1 egg, without its shell
10 g	Hot Dijon-style mustard 2 tsp, beaten with the egg
5 g	Garlic 1 clove, crushed into the egg
400 g	Sunflower oil, for frying or as a neutral oil Oil about 1 cm deep in a 28 cm pan; nutrition counts 50 g actually absorbed by the four escalopes (8–12% of their breaded weight); the rest of the frying oil is not consumed
50 g	Extra virgin olive oil 5 tbsp, in the mash
1000 g	Water 1 L tap water to cook the potatoes; reserve 150 g to loosen the mash and discard the rest
10 g	Coarse salt 1 level tbsp for the cooking water (10 g per litre); nutrition counts only what the potatoes absorb and the reserved water
120 g	Lemon 1 unwaxed lemon: zest and 10 g juice (1 tbsp) in the mash, the rest in wedges at the table
6 g	Fine salt 3 g (1/2 tsp) in the mash, 2 g on the escalopes (kosher chicken is already a little salty), 1 g in the flour
1 g	Ground black pepper A few turns of the mill, on the escalopes and in the mash
2 g	Sweet paprika 3/4 tsp, in the flour

Method

Peel the potatoes, cut into 2 cm cubes and put in a 20 cm saucepan with 1 L cold water and 10 g coarse salt: they should be just covered. Bring to the boil over a high heat (8–10 minutes), then cook at a gentle boil for 15 minutes: a knife tip should pass through without resistance.
While they cook, prepare three shallow bowls: flour with paprika and 1 g salt; egg beaten with a fork, mustard and the crushed garlic clove; and panko mixed with sesame seeds. Pat the escalopes dry with kitchen paper, season with 2 g salt and pepper on both sides.
Coat the four escalopes: first in flour, shaking off the excess; then in egg, letting it drip off; then in sesame panko, pressing with the flat of your hand without crushing. Lay flat on a large plate without stacking: resting for 10–15 minutes helps the coating stay on during frying.
When the potatoes have 5 minutes left, start heating the sunflower oil over a medium heat in the 28 cm frying pan. Reserve 150 g cooking water (one and a half ladlefuls), drain the potatoes and dry them in the saucepan over a low heat for 1 minute, shaking. Mash with a potato masher, drizzle in the olive oil and add the finely grated lemon zest, 10 g juice, 3 g salt and a turn of pepper, then gradually add the cooking water until the mash is soft and glossy and falls from the spoon. Taste and adjust the salt. Cover and keep on the smallest hob ring, stirring once; do not blend.
The oil is ready at 170–175°C on a thermometer, or when a pinch of panko dropped in sizzles immediately and turns golden in 30 seconds. Fry two escalopes at a time for 1 minute 30 seconds to 2 minutes per side: the crust should be evenly golden and slightly puffed, and the flesh firm under a finger. Cut into the edge of the first schnitzel: the flesh should be white and the juices clear. If the escalopes overlap, fry one at a time. Drain on a rack without stacking or covering. Skim crumbs from the oil with a slotted spoon, let it come back up to temperature for 1 minute and fry the second batch.
Reheat the mash over a low heat for 1 minute, stirring, with a splash of cooking water if it has thickened, so it is steaming hot to serve. Put mash and two schnitzels on each plate, with lemon wedges: squeeze the lemon over the schnitzel only at the table to keep the crust crisp.

Lighter version

Sunflower oil, for frying or as a neutral oil : 15 g
Extra virgin olive oil : 30 g
Potatoes : 600 g
Pareve panko breadcrumbs : 55 g

Preheat the oven to 220°C fan from the start. Cook 600 g potatoes (about 520 g peeled) as in the base recipe; mash with 30 g olive oil, the lemon and reserved cooking water.

In a dry frying pan, toast the 55 g panko and the sesame over a medium heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until light golden, then cool until lukewarm. Coat the escalopes with the same flour and egg mixture with mustard and garlic.

Put the breaded escalopes on a rack over the tray and brush both sides with the 15 g sunflower oil. Bake for 8–10 minutes without turning: the coating should be golden and the flesh white and firm at the edge. Serve immediately with the mash.

Baked on a rack with panko dry-toasted in advance and all 15 g oil counted: the crust stays crisp above and below, and the mash is a little less rich.

On your plate

Recipe

1185 kcal · protein 60 g · carbs 87 g · fat 62 g

Quantities per person

180 g Skinless chicken breast escalopes (150 g each)
350 g Potatoes
35 g Pareve panko breadcrumbs
7.5 g Sesame seeds
15 g Plain wheat flour
27.5 g Eggs
5 g Hot Dijon-style mustard
2.5 g Garlic
200 g Sunflower oil, for frying or as a neutral oil
25 g Extra virgin olive oil
500 g Water
5 g Coarse salt
60 g Lemon
3 g Fine salt
0.5 g Ground black pepper
1 g Sweet paprika

Cooking tips

Ask the butcher to flatten the escalopes to 5 mm. Leftovers make the next day’s Israeli sandwich: cold schnitzel in a pita with hummus, gherkins and Israeli salad. You can coat the escalopes 30 minutes ahead and refrigerate them flat: the coating adheres better. Boneless thighs flattened by the butcher make a juicier schnitzel. Let the frying oil cool completely before discarding.

Equipment : 28 cm high-sided frying or sauté pan, 20 cm saucepan, 3 shallow bowls, Potato masher, Garlic press, Fine grater for zesting, Tongs and slotted spoon, Draining rack, Frying thermometer (optional)

Chicken schnitzel as made in Israeli homes (sesame in the breadcrumbs, garlic and mustard in the egg), with pareve olive oil and lemon mash.

Sesame schnitzel with olive oil and lemon mash

Method

On your plate

Recipe

Cooking tips

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