I hope that you're all doing well. It's been a relatively quiet around the hobbit hole this week, considering our discovery last Sunday. I've been dealing with increasing symptoms and prometrium side effects, alternating extreme fatigue and growing nausea. I'm feeling a bit anxious about not getting to know my beta numbers until the end of next week, but I'm just relying on the symptoms to keep me calm.
One thing that's certainly kicked in is the increased appetite (even though I've lost 5 pounds this week)... and I'm thinking that I'm going to have to make this recipe again real soon because it's just that good.
This recipe was inspired by Rachael Ray, but I took it in a completely different direction. Hunter schnitzel is the only form of schnitzel that I've encountered that isn't breaded. Instead it's lightly dredged in flour and then topped with a creamy mushroom sauce. I used pork in this recipe, but you could also easily use chicken or veal. The sauce is a little time consuming, but sooooooo worth it. The key is to prep all your ingredients ahead of time so that everything is ready to go.
Hunter Schnitzel Sandwiches with Whiskey Cream Mushroom Sauce (serves 4)
Schnitzel:
4 Pork Chops, boneless, about 1/2 inch thick
1 cup Flour
Salt & Pepper, to taste
1-2 tbsp Olive Oil
Sauce:
1 pint Button Mushrooms, sliced
1 med Onion, sliced
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 1/4 cup Beef Stock
1 tbsp Black Peppercorns, cracked
1 fluid ounce Whiskey
1 cup Heavy Cream
French or Italian Baguette, cut into four equal lengths and cut crosswise (toast them up if you like)
Fresh Parsley, chopped (optional)
In a medium skillet, saute the mushrooms and onions in olive oil. When mushrooms and onions are caramelized, remove from pan and set aside. In the same pan, over medium high heat combine beef stock and peppercorns and bring to a simmer. Allow to reduce to about 1 cup, then add cream and whiskey. Keep simmering and allow to reduce to about 1 cup. Add mushrooms and onions to the sauce and reduce temp to low. Stir occasionally while continuing to make the rest of the dish.
Carefully cut all pork chops crosswise (think butterflying, but cut all the way through), and using a meat mallet or a rolling pin pound the slices until they are about 1/8 of an inch thick. Combine flour with salt and pepper in a shallow dish, and dredge pork lightly. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and fry schnitzels in batches (don't overcrowd the pan) until golden brown and keep them warm in the oven.
Arrange schnitzels on the baguettes and top with mushroom cream sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve with cabbage salad.
The sauce is great on just about anything... heck it would make an old shoe taste great. As always, if you try it let me know what you think!
