Until the release of his cookbook chronicling the foods of his native city, Jerusalem, many people had no idea that Yotam Ottolenghi the cofounder of a series of modern Mediterranean London restaurants that bear his name was from Israel. There, schnitzel started out as a kibbutz staple, with the veal of the rarefied European original replaced with more readily available and much more economical pounded turkey breast. Now, virtually all Israeli schnitzel is made from chicken; to this day nearly all home cooks either make it themselves; store a supermarket version in the freezer; or buy it from home-style restaurants, where the crispy fried cutlets are often stuffed into pita bread or a roll piled high with salads and condiments. The version Ottolenghi created just for us contains five types of crunchy seeds in a variety of colors and textures, lending the exterior a nutty, exotic crunch.
Ingredients
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¾ cup sunflower oil
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 2 cups loosely packed parsley leaves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon salt-packed capers
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1½ pounds total), each piece cut into 3 long strips
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ cups panko bread crumbs
- 3 tablespoons white sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds (or extra white sesame seeds, if black ones are not available)
- 2 tablespoons flax seeds
- 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds, roughly chopped
- 1 ½ tablespoons coriander seeds, roughly crushed
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/3 cup sunflower oil, plus more if necessary
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Make the Mayonnaise
- Place the egg yolk, mustard, garlic, and lemon juice in the small bowl of a food processor. Process on high, then add the oil in a slow stream until all of the oil is fully incorporated and the mayonnaise is thick. Add the sugar, parsley, and capers and blend 5 more seconds to incorporate. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate. Make the Schnitzel
- Working one piece at a time, place the chicken pieces between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and gently flatten each piece with a rolling pin, until it is just under ½ inch thick (don’t worry if the schnitzels aren’t perfectly uniform). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Make the Flour and Panko Dredges
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with salt and black pepper. In a separate bowl, whisk together the panko, white and black sesame seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, coriander seeds, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and salt. Dip each piece of chicken in the flour and gently shake off the excess. Dip the floured chicken in the beaten egg, and then press in the seed mixture on both sides to coat well. Store the breaded pieces on the lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken. Fry the Chicken
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Working in batches, fry the chicken until golden brown, flipping once, 4 to 5 minutes total, adding additional oil to the skillet between batches if necessary. Drain the chicken on paper towels and serve hot with the parsley-caper mayonnaise on the side.
