Wiener Schnitzel: How to Get the Coating to Puff Properly

The cooking time for a proper Wiener Schnitzel is about four minutes. The preparation is where the work is.

The meat

Use veal escalopes or pork loin cut about one centimeter thick. Place between two sheets of cling film and pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin until about three to four millimeters thin. Work outward from the center, rotating as you go. You want even thickness across the whole piece.

Season with salt on both sides.

The breading

Three separate shallow dishes: plain flour in the first, beaten eggs whisked with a tablespoon of milk in the second, fine dry breadcrumbs in the third. Fresh breadcrumbs from a day-old white loaf, blitzed in a food processor, give a lighter result than packaged crumbs.

Dredge each escalope through flour, shaking off any excess. Then through the egg wash, letting any excess drip off. Then into the breadcrumbs, pressing lightly to coat. The key word is lightly — press just enough for the crumbs to adhere but do not compact them. You want a loose layer that can puff.

Frying

Pour clarified butter to a depth of about one centimeter in a wide frying pan. Heat over medium-high until hot but not smoking. Lower the schnitzel in carefully.

Now here is the technique that matters: tilt the pan gently and continuously as the schnitzel cooks, so the fat washes back and forth over the top surface. This is what souffles the coating. Cook for about two minutes per side until deeply golden.

Transfer to a wire rack, not paper towels, so the bottom stays crisp.

Serve immediately

Wiener Schnitzel does not wait. The coating starts to soften within minutes, and there is no recovering it. Have the lemon wedged, the potatoes plated, and the people seated before the schnitzel comes out of the pan.