Schnitzels with champignon-cream sauce

This is an idea I would like to offer especially to my “non-Dutch” friends. In Netherlands this is a very popular main dish and it was for me a new way of eating the traditional schnitzels. I will insist on the sauce’s preparation, because I think everybody knows how to make schnitzels. Let’s start!

Ingredients for 4 persons

For the schnitzels

500 g chicken fillet

Flour

Breadcrumbs

2 eggs

2-3 tbsp. milk

Salt and pepper

For the champignon-cream sauce

500 g champignons

450 ml milk

30 g butter

3 tbs. flour

250 g crème fraîche

1-2 cloves of garlic

Nutmeg

Salt and pepper

Method

The chicken fillet is tender meat, so you just have to cut it in thin slices. Add salt and pepper.

Prepare 3 bowls, one with flour, one with breadcrumbs and in the last one mix the eggs together with the milk.

Dip each slice of meat first into the flour, then into the egg and the last into the breadcrumbs, coating all sides.

Heat in a pan enough oil, around 2 cm, so that the schnitzels can “swim” in it. Fry it on one side and when it's brown, turn it. Drain it on the kitchen paper.

The champignons-cream sauce

Cut the champignons in small pieces. Melt the butter in a pan, add the champignons and 1-2 smashed cloves of garlic and brown them a little bit. Then cover the pan and cook for about 10 min.

Mix the flour with some milk, in order to obtain a smooth paste and then add the rest of the milk. Pour this mixture over the champignons, add 1-2 sprinkles nutmeg, salt, pepper and bring to boil again, mixing very often. Boil 3-4 min and then add the crème fraîche. Turn off the heat and add some fine cut chive.

My tips:

Some people say that if you add milk to the eggs, then the schnitzel will not be so crispy any more. I’ve tried all the combinations with the eggs: milk, a few drops of oil and water. Always the schnitzels were crispy. The secret , believe it or not, is to use the right pan, enough oil and the medium to high heat. If the heat is too low, then the meat will not be juicy anymore and the crust will have too much oil, which makes it not crispy.
Another secret is to turn the schnitzels just one time, during the frying; otherwise again they will be too oily. Just wait until the underside will be brown enough and then turn and fry the other side.
Try to fry in the same time more schnitzels in order to cover the whole surface of the pan; this is valid also for the last round. Otherwise, the oil and the schnitzels will get burned.
Sometimes I do the breadcrumbs by myself, using old bread. I cut it into small cubes and brown them in the oven for a few minutes (be careful, not to burn them). Then I make the breadcrumbs using an electric food chopper.

Enjoy it!