Celebrate Oktoberfest with a Chicken Schnitzel Sandwich with Lemony Fennel Coleslaw and a Crispy Potato Roast

Chicken Schnitzel with Lemony Fennel Slaw and Potato Roast

Growing up in Southern Ontario the onset of fall always meant that Oktoberfest celebrations could not be far off in Kitchener/Waterloo. Their 9 day festival is the second largest in the world and replaced my teenage dreams with chicken schnitzel, Bratwurst, roasted chicken and German beer. When I was in my late teens I found myself in a huge, vaulted bierhausen in Munich, Germany the home of Oktoberfest, downing a litre of beer, succulent rotisserie chicken and giant pretzels. Their 16-day long party is a celebration of beer, Bratwurst and all things Bavarian, and there were plenty of lederhosen on show. Today for that bit of nostalgia I could drive 4 hours south to the Bavarian-style village of Leavenworth, Washington on any of the first three weekends in October for live music and hearty German fare.


For now I have opted to stay home so to bring a little Oktoberfest into my kitchen I concocted this chicken schnitzel sandwich topped with a fall-inspired light and refreshing lemony fennel slaw. Instead of fries I served my sandwich with tender and crispy thinly sliced roasted potatoes seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, and thyme. The potatoes take a while to bake but are very simple to make and worth the wait. While they are roasting curl up with your latest book wrapped in a blanket on this cool, crisp fall day. A mandolin is helpful when preparing the potatoes but creating thin evenly sliced potatoes can easily be done with a sharp knife and some patience. Toast your roll,sizzle your schnitzel and pile your sandwich high with fennel coleslaw and you will be whisked to the streets of Munich to celebrate in your lederhosen. Ein prosit!

If you have pasta in your future don't forget Presto Pasta Nights. Send your pasta dishes before Friday.

**Chicken Schnitzel with Fennel Coleslaw**

 4 skinless chicken breasts
 1/2 cup plain flour
 Sea salt
 Freshly ground black pepper
 1 egg
 2 tablespoons milk
 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
 3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
 zest from 1 lemon
 3 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
 1 tablespoon butter
 1/2 cup olive oil
 4 rolls

 Put each chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and flatten slightly with a meat mallet or rolling pin. Put the flour in a shallow bowl and season. In another bowl, beat the egg with the milk. On a large plate, mix the breadcrumbs, chopped parsley, and lemon zest. Dip each chicken fillet in flour to coat, then in the egg mixture, then the breadcrumbs and herb mix. Allow your cutlets to dry for better browning when frying.

Heat the butter and olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the schnitzels for three minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through (don’t overcrowd the pan: cook in batches, if necessary). Drain on paper towels. Keep warm, until all the chicken is cooked.

 **Lemony Fennel Slaw**

 3 fennel bulbs, finely sliced
 2 tablespoons small salted capers, rinsed
1 small red onion, finely sliced
 1½ tablespoons fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, chopped
 3 tablespoons good quality ready-made mayonnaise
 1 lemon, juice and zest
 Sea salt
 Freshly ground black pepper

 For the slaw, put the fennel, capers, onion and parsley in a bowl. Mix in the mayonnaise and lemon juice and zest and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

** Crispy Potato Roast**

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 lbs russet potatoes
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
8 sprigs thyme

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a small bowl, combine butter, crushed garlic and oil. Brush bottom of a round 9-inch baking dish with some butter mixture. With a mandoline or food processor, slice potatoes very thinly crosswise. Arrange potato slices vertically in dish. Wedge shallots throughout. Sprinkle with salt and brush with remaining butter mixture. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes. Add thyme and bake until potatoes are cooked through with a crisp top, about 35 minutes more. Yield: 8 servings.

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