Buffalo Chicken Schnitzel with Hot Maple Syrup & Ranch Coleslaw
Buffalo chicken is believed to have originated in Buffalo, New York. Traditionally a maple and hot pepper sauce is served as a glaze on chicken wings, but I’m using it as a sweet and spicy drizzle on a tasty schnitzel. The tangy slaw with a ranch style dressing is a delicious side.
Method
Place the chicken breasts on a board covered with baking parchment, flatten out the fillets and cover with another piece of parchment. Bash with a rolling pin or the bottom of a pan until they are ¼ inch in thickness. Pat dry. Mix together the garlic powder, paprika, half the cayenne and a pinch of salt. Sprinkle over both sides of the chicken and rub in. Set aside.
On a plate mix the flour with the remaining cayenne and ½ tsp of both salt and pepper. On another mix the breadcrumbs with the thyme. Put the beaten eggs onto a third plate.
Coat the chicken breasts in the seasoned flour first, shaking off any excess. Dip into the eggs making sure they are fully covered, and then dip into the breadcrumb mixture and toss to completely coat. Place on a plate and rest for 10 minutes or chill until ready to cook.
Make the ranch slaw: in a large bowl mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, dill and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Add a dash of hot sauce and season with salt and pepper. Add the cabbage, celery, carrot, onion and parsley to the bowl and mix well. Add a little more mayo or sour cream if needed and, if using, crumble in the blue cheese.
Heat 1.5cm depth of oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot (but not smoking) fry the schnitzels 1 or 2 at a time for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until golden and the chicken is cooked. Transfer to a plate to drain on kitchen paper and keep warm while you cook the remaining chicken. (alternatively bake in the oven on a lightly oiled baking tray, for 15-18 minutes at 220C/200Cfan, turning the schnitzels half-way through)
To make the hot maple syrup: put the maple syrup, hot sauce, butter, a small squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Cook until melted and then whisk to combine. Simmer for 4-5 minutes until thickened. Remove from the heat.
Serve the schnitzel drizzled with a little hot maple syrup and the ranch slaw on the side. Put the remaining sauce in small bowls for dipping.
Ingredients
- For the Buffalo Chicken Schnitzel
- 4 chicken breasts, skinless
- 1 tsp garlic granules
- 1 tsp sweet (unsmoked) paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne, or to taste
- 60g plain flour
- 100g fine dried breadcrumbs
- 2 eggs, beaten
- ½ tsp dried thyme or oregano
- vegetable or sunflower oil for frying
- sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
- For the Hot Maple Syrup
- 4 tbsp maple syrup
- 4 tbsp cayenne pepper hot sauce (e.g Frank’s Original Hot Sauce)
- 1 tbsp butter
- ½ lemon, for squeezing
- For the Ranch Coleslaw
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 3-4 tbsp soured cream (or Greek Yoghurt)
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 2 tsp chopped dill
- ½ lemon for squeezing
- dash of hot sauce (optional)
- ½ white cabbage (or ¼ mixed with ¼ red cabbage), thinly sliced
- 2 sticks of celery, trimmed, thinly sliced
- 1 large carrot, coarsely grated or shredded
- 2 spring onions, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 50g blue cheese (Danish Blue), crumbled (optional)