Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless 6- to 8-ounce chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
About 1 cup flour
3 eggs
About 3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cups dried breadcrumbs
About 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg
Safflower or other frying oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 Honeycrisp apples, thinly sliced with a knife of on a mandoline
1 bulb fennel, quartered, cored and thinly sliced with a knife or mandoline, plus half a handful of fronds
1 large or 2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 shot apple schnapps or apple brandy
A half handful fresh dill
Lemon wedges, for serving
Preparation
Preheat oven to 200°F.
Working 1 breast at a time, butterfly the chicken by cutting horizontally with a sharp knife almost all the way through. Open like a book and pound each piece between sheets of plastic to about 1/8-inch thick. Season with salt and pepper.
Set up a breading station: Place the flour, some salt and pepper in a shallow dish. In another, beat the eggs, milk and mustard, and season. Place the breadcrumbs in a third dish with the nutmeg and salt.
Heat 1/8 inch oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high. Working in two batches, coat the chicken in flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs, pressing to adhere. Fry chicken until deep golden and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the schnitzel to a wire rack set on a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven.
For the schn’apple, heat another large skillet over medium to medium-high. Add the butter. Once melted, add the apples, sliced fennel and onions; season with salt and cook, stirring often, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the schnapps and toss in the fennel fronds and dill.
Serve the schnitzel topped with fennel mixture and lemon wedges alongside.
