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Another feather in our cap! This time, the exclusive New York Times Reserve Wine Club has selected our Umathum Zweigelt Classic 2009. We’ve been racking up these prestigious wine club selections lately: Chiarello, Williams-Sonoma, NY Times… not too shabby. But the best part? They come up with some killer pairings and include the recipe… such as this one for schnitzel that we’re going to share with you here. But we should say- this wine club is definitely worth checking out.

“The secret to crisp, light schnitzel is to trap air in the crust by moving and shaking the pan. when frying the cutlet, swirl the pan so the hot oil undulates over it. This creates steam that lifts the crust away from the meat allowing the breadcrumbs to crisp.”

That quote comes from the New York Times, but we’ve said the same thing before in our Schnitzel 101 Recipe. Their recipe goes far further, tho, with a lovely salad that sounds just right…

Crisp Chicken Schnitzel with Lemony Spring Herb Salad

Ingredients
6 anchovy fillets
1 small garlic clove
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
7 to 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, to taste
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cup panko or other unseasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/4 pounds chicken cutlets, pounded to 1/8 inch thick
Safflower, peanut or vegetable oil, for frying
2 quarts mixed baby greens
2 cups soft herb leaves, like a combination of mint, tarragon, basil, parsley, cilantro, chervil, chives (try to use at least 3 kinds)
1 scallion, thinly sliced, including greens

Preparation
Mince anchovies and garlic and mix with a large pinch of salt until you get a rough paste. Put it in bowl and whisk in the lemon zest, juice and another pinch of salt and some pepper. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil.
Place eggs in one shallow dish, bread crumbs in another, and flour mixed with cayenne and nutmeg in a third. Season chicken cutlets generously with salt and pepper.
Heat ⁄ inch oil in a large skillet. While oil heats, dip cutlets one by one into flour (shake off any excess), then into eggs (ditto) and finally into the bread crumbs, taking care not to handle chicken more than necessary (hold meat by ends).
When oil sizzles when a pinch of bread crumbs is thrown in, add a chicken cutlet (or 2 if your skillet is large, leave plenty of room around them). Swirl pan so oil cascades over top of cutlet in waves. When bottom is golden brown, about 3 minutes, flip and brown the other side, swirling pan (swirling helps create air pockets, giving you lighter schnitzel). Transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking platter or baking tray and sprinkle with more salt. Repeat with remaining chicken.
Toss salad greens and herbs with just enough anchovy-lemon dressing to lightly coat them. Divide salad on serving plates and top with schnitzel. Drizzle with more dressing and garnish with scallions.
Yield: 3 to 4 servings
Time: 25 minutes

Originally published in The New York Times “A GOOD APPETITE; For Stellar Schnitzel, The Trick Is Air” by Melissa Clark, June 3, 2009