HEAD BLOG

Part of the motivation gained from working within the advertising sector is the opportunity to work with the top creative people. This business attracts people who just want to be creative, whether it is in creating packaging, coding websites, dreaming up games or working out new ways to communicate what they feel is important. Every client, every supplier, every partner I work with has the capacity for this creativity. Some have an eye for photography and others express themselves, in part, through cookery.

And that neatly leads me on to this week’s recipe which was, in true Children’s Television style, sent in by a viewer from Windsor. Martin Moore over at 2K Games knows far more about food than me (despite being considerably slimmer) and often writes restaurant reviews. Martin, thank you for sharing your schnitzel (bless you). Usually, Jaegerschnitzel is cooked using veal but this version uses chicken (free range, of course). His recipe is printed, almost without editorial meddling, below.

Ingredients:

Oil (I use grapeseed but other cooking oil is fine)

2 Free-range chicken fillets

Flour

1 Lemon

2 Eggs

Breadcrumbs

Thyme

Knob of butter

100g mushrooms

150ml chicken stock

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

½ Cup double cream

½ Onion

100g Green beans, trimmed

100g Baby carrots

2 large potatoes

Prep:

• Heat the oven to 200 and place a baking tray with oil inside

• Cut the potatoes into wedges lengthways (we’re looking for maximum surface area here) and par-boil them

• Lightly whisk two eggs in a wide bowl and add some pepper

• Put the breadcrumbs (you can use Paxo breadcrumbs but if you make your own, make sure the bread is white, nicely solid and stale enough to grate) into another bowl and add lemon zest and thyme (leaves only or a little dried thyme will work as well)

• Tenderize two chicken fillets and dust in flour, dip in the egg mixture and then coat in breadcrumb mixture

Cooking:

• When the oil is hot (careful!) tip the potatoes in and ensure they’re coated with oil, then dust with mild chilli powder

• Over a high heat, add a pat of butter and a little oil to a heavy-based saucepan – when the butter foams, add 100g of mushrooms and half an onion (chopped)

• As the mushrooms reduce in size and the onion begins to brown slightly, add 150ml of chicken stock

• Reduce the heat to simmer and add two tablespoons of red wine vinegar

• Add 1 tbsp of flour and whisk in gently – don’t allow the mixture to boil but allow the colour to bronze

• Bring the heat up a little and whisk in ½ a cup of double cream

• Allow to simmer and reduce. Be sure to taste the sauce – if it’s too creamy, add a little more stock and reduce some more

• While the sauce is reducing, heat a lug of oil in a frying pan. When hot, add the schnitzels (if you don’t hear a satisfying sizzle, bring the heat up) and add a few stalks of thyme to the pan

• The schnitzel only need about three to four minutes each side – you want the breadcrumbs to be golden brown but not burnt or blackened

• While cooking the schnitzel, add the green beans to boiling water and cook for four minutes (they should have a little bite to them, don’t allow them to turn mushy)

• Place the baby carrots in another saucepan and add water to cover, then boil for five minutes, or until just tender

Serving:

Place the green beans in a row on the plate and lay the schnitzel on top

Squeeze some lemon over the schnitzel

Place the wedges and carrots around the schnitzel

Spoon the mushrooms and sauce on top of the schnitzel and drizzle any leftover sauce around the wedges and carrots

In true German style you should enjoy this with a proper lager (something like Warsteiner or Bitburger)!