Schnitzel with ‘Café de Rosheen’ Butter

Recipe from Secret Sauce by Rosheen Kaul

Double-crumbing schnitzels is a pub trick I learned from my friend Alanna Sapwell-Stone at the glorious Eltham Hotel in the Byron Bay hinterlands. I did a little ‘pub buds’ specials board takeover one swelteringly hot summer, and I had the time of my life. Double-crumbing a schnitzel ensures even coverage and a two-textured ­finish, the ­fine crisp of regular breadcrumbs going hand-in-hand with the more raggedy texture of panko. We did huge, bone-in pork cutlet schnitzels that you could hold and eat like a giant lamb cutlet. I was in the hottest kitchen I’d ever been in, but the food we were cooking was awesome.

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

2 eggs

½ teaspoon water

¾ cup (45 g) panko breadcrumbs

¼ cup (30 g) regular breadcrumbs

½ cup (70 g) plain flour

¼ teaspoon salt

Cracked black pepper, to season

½ cup (125 ml) neutral oil, for frying

2 tablespoons ‘Café de Rosheen’ butter (see below)

Method

Butterfly the chicken breasts by slicing them horizontally, almost all the way through so you can open them up like a book. Pound them flat between two sheets of baking paper using a meat mallet or small frying pan. Whisk the eggs with the water and pour onto a plate. Set up the rest of your dredging station by mixing the panko and regular breadcrumbs and transferring to a plate or small tray. Do the same with the plain flour, salt and a generous grind of black pepper on a separate plate or small tray. Dip the flattened chicken breast into the seasoned flour, then into the eggs, ensuring it’s thoroughly coated, and press into the breadcrumb dredge. Transfer the crumbed schnitzel to a tray and repeat with the other. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Heat the oil in a heavy-based skillet or frying pan, then pan-fry the schnitzels until deep golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes on each side. Carefully remove from the oil and drain on a rack set over paper towel. Serve each schnitzel with a square of Café de Rosheen butter on top.

 

‘Café de Rosheen’ butter

Café de Paris is a classic compound butter, packed with savoury ingredients like shallots, mustard, herbs and lemon zest, and usually served with steak. The original recipe, from Café de Paris in Geneva, is a closely guarded secret. ‘Café de Rosheen’ butter is my ultimate butter, filled with all of my favourite things – and I’m thrilled to share it. It’s spiced with fruity pink peppercorns and cumin, herbaceous and fresh coriander and lemongrass, pops of acidity from pickled chilli and lemon, and a deep savouriness from the fish sauce. Basically, it’s every ­flavour I love, and everything I am as a chef, encapsulated in butter. My favourite way to eat this is on a big, crispy, panko-crusted schnitzel, but it would be amazing on baked scallops and fish or used to sauté arborio rice to start a risotto. The warm spicing makes it well suited for red meat as well.

Makes 1½ cups (375 g)

Ingredients

1 teaspoon pink peppercorns

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

300 g (approx. 1¼ cups) salted butter, softened

1 teaspoon chilli flakes

2 teaspoons finely sliced coriander (cilantro) leaves

2 stalks coriander stem, finely sliced

1 stalk lemongrass, finely sliced

3 cloves garlic, finely grated

3 pickled chillies, finely chopped

½ teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon fish sauce

Zest from 2 lemons

Method

Toast the peppercorns and cumin seeds over low heat in a small pan until dark and fragrant. Transfer to a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and crush. Some coarser bits are fine for texture but a medium grind is best. Combine the butter, toasted spices and the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and combine until well incorporated. Use immediately – or roll up tightly in baking paper or plastic wrap and keep refrigerated for up to 5 days, or frozen for 1–2 months.