Doritos-Coated Schnitzel with Fried Eggs and Anchovies

There’s no doubt that this recipe for Doritos-Coated Schnitzel with Fried Eggs and Anchovies from Carl Clarke’s A Whole Chicken catches our attention because of its gimmicky idea to use crushed tortilla chips in the crumb for fried chicken! The question is, does this take on a classic Austrian Schnitzel Holstein work?

The answer is a resounding yes! Blitzed cheese-flavoured Doritos are combined with panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) to create a coating that is both crispy and full of flavour. Chicken breast works well in place of veal; butterflied chicken breast is easy and satisfying to flatten out ’til it’s nice and thin with a mallet (or heavy rolling pin). The recipe needs only a few ingredients, and is simple and quick to make.

That goes for many of the recipes in the book. Read our full review of The Whole Chicken by Carl Clarke to find out more.

Doritos-Coated Schnitzel with Fried Eggs and Anchovies

This recipe is a take on the classic Austrian dish Schnitzel Holstein, which is a flattened veal escalope (scallop) that’s coated in breadcrumbs, fried in butter and served with a fried egg on top and a couple of anchovies. Here, I have swapped the veal for a flattened chicken escalope, which is then coated in tangy cheese Doritos. The crushed Doritos pack an incredible crunch and give the chicken a cheesy back note to the flavour. Doritos are great for coating just about anything from fried cheese to chicken strips (tenders), so just choose whatever flavour you like best. Don’t be put off by the flattening out of the chicken breast, as it is a simple technique that takes no time at all and allows the chicken to cook quickly so the Doritos aren’t burned before the chicken is cooked through. If you don’t fancy flattening the chicken, then you can always ask your butcher to do it for you. The anchovies give a salty note to the dish and work so well with the soft egg yolk. This dish is simple and quick to prepare – you can get the chicken flattened out and coated a few hours before frying and then just store in the refrigerator until ready to cook.

Servings 1

Author Carl Clarke

Ingredients

• 80 g (3 oz) tangy cheese-flavoured Doritos
• 20 g (3⁄4 oz / 1⁄3 cup) panko breadcrumbs
• 20 g (3⁄4 oz /2 1⁄4 tablespoons) plain (all-pupose) flour
• 1 egg
• 1 large boneless chicken breast, butterflied and batted out with a mallet until it is about 2 mm (1⁄16 in) thick
• 2 tablespoons rapeseed (canola) oil
• knob of butter
• 1 large egg
• 2 good-quality salted anchovies, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives squeeze of lemon juice

Instructions

• Blitz the Doritos in a food processor until crushed, then mix with the panko breadcrumbs. Transfer to a bowl, then place the flour in a second bowl and beat the egg in a third bowl.

• Dip the chicken first into the flour, shaking off excess, then dip into the egg and finally dip into the Doritos mixture until the chicken is evenly coated on both sides. Place in the refrigerator to set for around 30 minutes.

• Heat the oil in a frying pan (skillet) over medium heat, add the chicken and gently fry on both sides for 3–4 minutes until cooked through and golden brown. At the last minute, add a knob of butter and cook until the butter turns slightly brown. Remove the pan from the heat.

• In a separate pan, fry the egg as you like.

• Place the schnitzel on a warmed serving plate, place the fried egg on top and arrange the anchovies on top of the egg. Add the chives and lemon juice to the brown butter and pour over the eggs and chicken. Serve.

This is a fun idea that works on a practical level and tastes good too. I am sure it would also appeal to kids, who may appreciate the idea of eating tortilla chips for dinner!

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Kavey Eats received a review copy of A Whole Chicken by Carl Clarke from publisher Hardie Grant. Photography from the book (second image) is by Robert Billington.