Tools of the trade.

I thought about saving tonight’s recipe for a group dinner – ie, more than just myself – but I felt like a change from my usual solo dinner choices – pasta or salad – so thought I’d spoil myself and in the end I really kinda did. It was yum.

Schnitzel with Watercress and Spiced Apple Sauce

I nipped down to the butcher and grabbed a pork fillet which then needed to be bashed and tenderised. I was thinking I was going to have the pull the hammer out of the tool box, but Jamie had a much simpler suggestion. A saucepan. Yep, I lay my pork on a chopping board, covered it with a piece of baking paper and then gave it a damn good bashing with the bottom of the saucepan. So easy and really rather good for stress relief after a long and relatively crappy day at work!

But before I continued with the pork, I got the apple sauce on the go. Butter, orange zest and juice, nutmeg, cinnamon and sugar, all melted together and bubbling away then I added the chopped apple. Only after the apples were well and truly coated with the yummy sauce and simmering away, softening up, did I realise that I was actually supposed to peel the apples… Oh well. It might not have been quite as smooth as Jamie’s apple sauce, but it was more colourful.

Back to the pork and sprinkled with S&P, I popped it into a bowl of flour, both sides, then into egg wash, then into the bread crumbs. Then into a pan of hot oil. You know the drill.

Served up with a bit of cous cous, some steamed pak choy (I couldn’t get watercress unfortunately) and the colourful apple sauce, it was an absolutely delicious schnitty.

I’m a little embarrassed to admit this, especially after I’ve lived with Becko who was the schnitty Queen, but I’ve never actually crumbed my own schnitzel before. I’ve always thought it would be quite difficult (which is a total cop out coz I definitely saw Becko do it a million times and it never actually looked difficult) so I am pleased that yet again, Jamie has forced me to do something that I’d put off doing previously. And of course it was easy and tasty and certainly something I can do again.

So I dedicate my dinner tonight to the schnitty Queen. Cheers Becko.

Xx