German Schnitzels

Schnitzel a la Holstein: Garnish wienerschnitzel with a fried egg, two anchovy fillets and a sprinkling of well drained capers. [Or use a barely set poached egg and finish under the broiler.- JW] Cheese Schnitzel: Use 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup crumbs instead of 1 cup crumbs. Garnish the finished schnitzels with paprika and a paper thin slice of lemon. Naturschnitzel: Take pounded cutlets 1/4" thick, salt and dredge one side only with flour. Brown unfloured side first, then the floured side. Make a sauce as follows: stir 2 Tablespoon butter into the pan juices, when bubbling add 1/2 cup beef or veal stock- simmer and scrape pan residues into the sauce with a wooden spoon. Flavor with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Pour the reduced sauce over the schnitzels. Almond Schnitzel: Dip cutlets into sour cream, then flour, then egg wash, then grated blanched almonds instead of breadcrumbs. Hunter's Schnitzel: Cut schnitzels in half after pounding, sprinkle with salt and pepper and sautee in bacon fat. Remove meat and saute chopped carrot, onion and parsley [and optionally celery and mushrooms as well] until soft. Return veal to the pan, add a tbsp butter and when it bubbles stir in 2 Tablespoon flour. Stir and cook 5 min. Pour 1 cup white wine into the pan, cover and simmer 15 min or until veal is tender. Season sauce to taste, place schnitzels on serving platter and top with vegetables and sauce. Cream Schnitzel: Cut salted and peppered pounded cutlets into 2"x3" pieces. Brown both sides in butter and remove from pan. pour 1/2 cup water into pan, scraping pan residues into it with a wooden spoon. Blend 1 Tablespoon flour into 1/2 cup sour cream and stir that into the water. Return schnitzels to the sauce, cover and simmer 5-10 min until meat is tender. Season sauce with beef extract and lemon juice. Swabian Schnitzel: Make cream schnitzel with twice the sauce and serve over a mound of hot noodles or Spatzle. Paprikaschnitzel: Follow recipe for cream schnitzel but sprinkle cutlets with paprika before browning and stir 1-2 teaspoon paprika into the sour cream sauce. Mince a small onion and saute it in a little butter until soft and add to the fried veal before cooking it again in the sour cream sauce. Tips: The breaded cutlets should be rested at room temp for 15-30 min before frying. The fat should be hot enough so that the breading does not fall off. A schnitzel should be golden brown on both sides and thoroughly cooked in 8-12 min. It should only be turned once. Otherwise it is too thick. Keep finished schnitzels in a low oven [250-275] while the others are frying. never cover them or they will steam and the breading will get soggy. Although schnitzels are often fried in butter, shortenings or lard can be used. Lard gives the crispiest, driest crust.