Rain drops on roses and whiskers on kittens (no cats have been harmed in the making of this recipe)

Has anyone every watched The Sound of Music in its entirety  I don't really know what happens after the scene where the kids sing goodnight on the staircase. Even when I was little I thought it was pretty cringy. But what is lovely about the movie is the scenery of Austria. Salzberg looks like a beautiful place and I do plan on eventually getting around to visiting there. But the movie confused me in many respects. Mainly, why did the family sound both English and America, the only people with accents were the Nazis. And also..I had no ideal what schnitzel was. And if it should have been served with noodles. And could it really compare to the beauty of bright copper kettles. 

After some research (ok I googled it) schnitzel in German speaking countries means escalopes and is basically battered and breaded cuts of meat ranging from the original veal to chicken and pork. Many countries have versions of schnitzel, such as the Italian Parmigania and apanados in Colombia. Now I liked the sound of this. But I defo wouldn't serve it with noodles, carb overload. 

But breaded chicken (or veal if you can get it- the downside of living in the back of beyond) is yummy. Not the crap that comes in frozen boxes in the supermarket. Those breadcrumbs are suspiciously radioactive orange and the chicken is so overcooked and stringy that it could easily be mistaken for rubber bands if it was pulled apart. Plus, when a captain who sells similar fish products diversifies from ocean to land one has to wonder what qualifications he has. Especially as I would have similar distaste for his fishy products. Moving away from the soap box. (hey, at least I'm not singing my grievances to you..be thankful for small blessings)

This recipe serves four but can be adapted for larger or smaller numbers

You will need:

4 chicken fillets

150g fresh breadcrumbs

75g feta

2tbsp fresh thyme leaves

1 tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp paprika

1 large free range egg

4tbsp olive oil

1. Flatten the chicken between 2 sheets of cling film using a rolling pin or meat hammer

2. Mix the breadcrumbs, crumbled feta, thyme, chili and paprika in a bowl.  Beat the large egg in a bowl.

3. dip each chicken in the egg, turning to coat, then coat in the breadcrumbs and transfer to a plate.

4. chill the schnitzels until you're ready to eat, then heat the oil in a frying pan and fry them 1 or 2 at a time for 4-5 minutes each side. 

5. cut into each schnitzel to make sure they're cooked through (nothing nastier or more dangerous than undercooked chicken).

6. Serve with a salad and lemon wedges to squeeze over. 

(I know - I'm a hypocrite, potato wedges are carbs BUT this was cooked for my dad who could not countenance dinner without some form of potato)