The 1980s hit is here again: “There’s great food”

The breading gives the cutlet a juicy taste. Early cabbage salad goes well with breaded cold cuts. RONI LETHI

Schnitzel is a great food. This is what the chef thinks Risto Mikkola.

– What I appreciate about schnitzels is that the meat stays juicy. Properly fried and prepared, it is a great food.

The favorites of the 1980s, i.e. breaded cutlets, have reappeared on restaurant menus. For example Hans Välimäki in the newest restaurant, Bistro Gina, it is on the menu under the name Cotoletta alla Milanese, i.e. crispy fried veal schnitzel, capers, horseradish and mashed potatoes.

Mikkola hasn’t eaten Gina’s veal steak yet, but instead he ordered a very good schnitzel at restaurant Ego a while ago.

And now an important tip for the fryer: you shouldn’t skimp on fat. When there is enough fat, the steak will not burn.

There was about 2–3 centimeters of fat in Mikkola’s pan. You can even deep-fry in that amount.

– You shouldn’t be afraid of fat. If it’s too little, the steak will just be shabby and it will burn easily, Mikkola advises, even though he knows that someone might get nervous about this advice.

The temperature of the fat should be around 160–180 degrees. If you are unsure about the temperature, Mikkola recommends using a frying thermometer.

Another option is to put a dollop of frosting in the fat. If it starts to fry nicely, the oil is hot enough. If, on the other hand, the glaze burns immediately, the oil temperature must be lowered.

Authentic schnitzel is made from veal, but it is a rare ingredient, especially in home kitchens. Mikkola states that the clip can be made from beef, pork or chicken. This time he uses chicken.

The important thing is to pound the meat thinly. Put salt and pepper directly on the surface of the meat, even if you bread it.

– I recommend sprinkling the salt directly on the meat. Do not put salt in wheat flour, because then it is a lottery how the salt is distributed.

Roll the steak in flour, then in beaten egg and finally in panko breadcrumbs. Panko flour is more airy and thus the end result is crispier.

Mikkola reminds you that you should roll all steaks in flour first, in the same way all in egg and in the last step in breadcrumbs.

– Otherwise, there are balls of flour on the fingers the size of golf balls.

Parmesan broiler schnitzel

4 chicken breast fillets

1–2 teaspoons of salt

3 eggs

2 dl wheat flour

4 dl panko flour

2 dl grated parmesan

rapeseed oil for frying

1. Pound the chicken breast fillets into about 5 mm thin slices. Season the slices with salt.

2. Beat the eggs until the texture is broken in a flat container. Measure the wheat flour onto a plate. Measure the panko flour and grated parmesan onto the third plate.

3. Roll all the pieces first in wheat flour, then in egg and finally in panko flour.

4. Heat a couple of centimeters of oil in a frying pan. Fry the cutlets until golden brown and crispy, about 1-2 minutes per side. Put the pieces on a paper towel for a while to drain the excess fat.

Anchovy-basil mayonnaise

2 dl mayonnaise (e.g. Hellmann’s)

1 pot of chopped basil

1 can (57g) canned anchovies, chopped

1. Mix all the ingredients together.

Pickled mustard seeds

0.5 dl mustard seeds

0.5 dl white vinegar

0.5 dl of sugar

0.5 dl of water

1 teaspoon of salt

1. Add all the ingredients to the pot and cook for about 20 minutes on low heat until syrupy.

Early cabbage mustard seed salad

5 dl thin strips of early cabbage

0.75 dl pickled mustard seeds

1 dl chopped parsley leaves

0.5 dl olive oil

1. Mix all the ingredients together.

Raimat Abadia Cabernet Sauvignon Tempranillo Crianza Organic 2019, Spain (€11.99)

The wine has a rich mouthfeel and balanced tannins. The taste is pleasantly round, slightly oaky and long. It smells of blackberry and cranberry. It is a good choice, for example, for grilled meat and dark meat stews, hard cheeses and roasted vegetables.