Chicken Schnitzel with Char-Roasted Butternut Barley Salad, Steamed Broccoli & Cheese Sauce

It’s been a staple of the Country Club for a good few years: good, old fare from our seasoned kitchen. When we overhauled our menu a couple of years ago, this firm favourite was given a facelift and now is one half of our Light and Healthy menu offering. If you are looking for a well-balanced meal that fits in with your pre-Summer eating plan, we’ve got you! Learn how to make our Chicken Schnitzel with Char-Roasted Butternut Barley Salad, Steamed Broccoli and Cheese Sauce with Chef G.

Ingredients

250g chicken breast fillet
100g pearled barley
50g butternut
60g broccoli
15g cheddar cheese
15g Parmesan cheese
1 cup bread crumbs
½ cup cake flour
Oil for frying
2 large eggs
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
2 lemon wedges to garnish (optional)

Tools

Mallet
Prep and mixing bowls
Sharp knife
Sauté pan or skillet
Spatula or tongs
Drying rack
Cutting board

Method

Chicken Breast

Check each chicken breast for a tenderloin: an extra flap of meat that usually ‘hangs off’ the breast. If there is a tenderloin, slice it off and set aside.
Lay the breast, smooth side facing upward, on a cutting board, then identify the thickest, round edge of the breast. Place your hand flat on the top of the breast, and slice carefully horizontally into the thickest round edge. DO NOT slice all the way through: slice about three quarters of the way through, dividing the top of the breast from the bottom.
Unfold the breast to reveal two symmetrical halves: this is a ‘butterfly’ of the breast.
Now, slice down the middle to divide the breast into two equal pieces. When finished, you should have two breasts of relatively equal size.
Lay down a 60-90cm long strip of plastic wrap on your kitchen countertop. Place chicken breasts on the plastic, leaving approximately 5cm space between each piece of meat. Cover the breasts with another strip of plastic, so the meat is sandwiched between two layers of plastic.
Use the flat side of a mallet to pound the breasts thin, until they are of a uniform thickness: roughly 1/8 inch thin throughout.
Place all the pounded breasts on a plate. Set up three wide, shallow bowls and a large empty plate on your countertop. Put the flower into the first bowl and eggs into the second bowl. Beat the eggs together with 2 tsp of water until well mixed. In the third bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs and ¼ tsp salt until well-blended. Place empty plate nearby where you will put your coated schnitzel.
Pour oil into a skillet or sauté pan until it’s deep enough for frying (about ½ inch). Heat the oil slowly over medium heat. While oil is heating, dip each breast one by one into your breading bowls—first dredge with flour. Next, dip the floured breast in egg until well-coated. Finally, place the egg-covered breast into the bowl of breadcrumb mixture. Use a dry hand to coat the breast evenly with breadcrumbs. Repeat process for remaining breasts.
Your oil should be around 180 degrees Celsius: hot, but not so hot that the oil smokes or splatters. You can test the oil temperature with a tenderloin first, if you have one. Fry the coated breasts in single-layer batches until they are golden brown on both sides. If your oil is at the right temperature, it should take about 2-3 minutes per side to cook the schnitzels.

TIP:

Don’t fry more than two breasts (if you are preparing more than two) at a time in a regular-sized skillet, or the oil’s temperature will drop and the schnitzels will become greasy. When the oil is at the right temperature, the schnitzels will absorb very little oil and cook up light and crisp.

After frying, set the schnitzels on a drying rack (or on a paper towel-lined plate) to drain excess oil.
Sprinkle the schnitzels with additional salt to taste, if desired. Serve hot, garnished with lemon wedges or your favourite condiment. Mustard and hot sauce both pair well with schnitzel.

…if you want to serve it the way we do at the Fig…

Pearled Barley

We pair our chicken schnitzel with pearled barley because it is a whole grain with a pleasant, chewy texture and a slightly nutty flavour. It is also quite nutritious and rich in fibre, vitamins, and minerals.

Whichever type of barley you choose, it is easy to cook. All you need are a few cups of water or broth and simple seasonings (plain ol’ kosher salt works just fine!).

Boil three cups of water (or broth) and add 1 cup of barley. Season to your liking. For me, a good pinch of kosher salt does the trick. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until most (or all) of the liquid is absorbed and the barley is tender with a slightly chewy texture. Pearl barley takes 25 to 30 minutes to cook, and hulled barley will take 45 minutes to an hour to cook.

Drain and garnish. Transfer the cooked barley to a colander to drain any excess liquid. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Broccoli

Pour about an inch of water into a skillet or wok and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Put the broccoli florets in a steamer basket and season with salt. Set the steamer basket over boiling water and cook until the broccoli is crisp-tender; about eight to 10 minutes depending on the size of the florets.

Butternut

Preheat the oven to 205 degrees Celsius.

Peel butternut with a sharp vegetable peeler. Cut in half lengthwise; scoop out and discard seeds. Cut halves into 1-inch slices, then cut slices into 1-inch cubes.

Combine butternut squash cubes, cooking oil, and garlic in a large bowl and toss until well coated. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Roast in the preheated oven until squash is lightly browned and tender when pierced with a fork; about 25 to 35 minutes.

Cheese Sauce

Melt butter: In a medium size sauce pan over medium high heat, add the butter and melt.

Whisk: Now add in a bit of flour to the butter, then slowly whisk in milk to your desired thickness. Next, add in the cheddar and the Parmesan cheese. Continue to mix until the cheese is melted.

We garnish ours with butternut chips but you can use a garnish of your choice. Enjoy!