Parmesan & Herb Crusted Chicken Schnitzel with Crunchy Buttery Garlic Sourdough and Tomato Bocconcini Salad

We had lunch with A and family at Gordon Pizza Bar last weekend and had great pizzas and fantastic garlic sourdough bread. So we decided to get a loaf of sourdough from the supermarket and make garlic bread and chicken schnitzel for dinner. This was also after watching Junior Masterchef the night before where they demonstrated how to prepare chicken schnitzel with heirloom tomato and bocconcini salad. G wanted to make the salad too, so we bought some cherry tomatos and a tub of traditional bocconcini.

This is really quick and easy to prepare. To make the garlic bread, preheat oven to 220°C. Slice the sourdough about 3/4 inch thick. Then melt some (3-4 tablespoons) of butter with some olive oil and a few pieces of crushed garlic in a pan and place four slices of bread in it, coating the bread evenly with the butter-oil mixture. Grill for a few minutes, then flip over and put more butter in the pan, coating the other side of the bread. Sprinkle with a little chopped parsley. When they start to crisp up a little, remove and place them on the oven rack and bake for about 3-5 minutes until they turn golden brown. They start to brown very quickly at this stage. Remove from oven and while hot, take a clove of garlic with the top chopped off and rub over the surface of both sides of the bread. Serve hot. The garlic sourdough is super-crunchy and buttery all over inside out. It screams out butter and garlic! (Of course, the texture will depend on the quality of the sourdough used)



Super crunchy and buttery garlic and herb bread


The chicken schnitzel is a breeze to prepare too.

Ingredients

1 chicken breast fillet, escalloped (this gives you 4-5 pieces)
5-6 pieces of stale bread, torn to pieces (I used sourdough)
Rosemary
Parsley
Thyme
Parmesan
1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp milk
Plain flour for coating
Salt and pepper
Olive oil for frying

Method

1. Using a meat mallet, flatten the chicken into thin escallopes, from which you will get 4-5 pieces.
2. In a food processor, combine stale bread with some parsley, rosemary, thyme and parmesan, and season with salt and pepper. Using the pulse button, process into breadcrumbs. Pour out onto a plate.
3. Heat up about 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan. Dip the chicken escallope into the flour (shake off excess), then into the egg mixture, and into the breadcrumbs and coat both sides. Then dip it in egg again and back into the breadcrumbs for a double coating. Throw breadcrumbs over the top and all over the chicken and press the crumbs in firmly to ensure a thick and even coating.
4. Slowly lower the chicken into the pan and repeat the same crumbing process with the other pieces of chicken. Fry chicken for about 4 minutes on each side till golden brown and crisp. Add more oil if necessary. Serve hot with salad and white wine. 



Absolutely yummy and addictive chicken schnitzel



I prepared the salad using cherry tomatoes (or any sweet tomatoes will do), bocconcini and flat-leaf parsley, along with some mixed salad leaves that we had in the fridge. Cut tomatoes in half and place on a plate with the salad leaves. Add some torn parsley leaves, and then tear the bocconcini into rough little pieces and throw them on top. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss lightly and serve with schnitzel. Eat everything together in one mouthful...totally absolutely delicious! Love the taste of the creamy bocconcini with the parsley and tomatoes. The schnitzel is bursting with so much flavour from the fresh herbs, sourdough crumbs and parmesan! Addictive!