Schnitz a delicious recipe, I promise
The crispiest cauliflower schnitzel with mustard chive mayo, and London pasta heaven
As a non-meat eater (mostly), I sometimes miss out on fun-sounding things like schnitzel. Even the word is fun - schnitzel. Usually I balk at the idea of cauliflower masquerading as meat, boring! But honestly I promise this one’s nice. Mostly because of the fried crispy coating, I’m not going to lie, but it’s still good.
All that fried stuff needs something tangy to cut through it all, which is why I’ve given mayo a jazzy makeover with some wholegrain mustard and chives. You could have it on its own as a light lunch, but I like these with a zesty little salad (think Austrian vibes) and fat chips, or mash if you prefer trad schnitzel accompaniments. PS please send me pics on Instagram if you ever make anything from the newsletter, I love seeing it!
Cauliflower schnitzel with mustard chive mayo
Serves 2
1 cauliflower
3-4 tbsp neutral oil (vegetable or sunflower work best)
2 tbsp cornflour
1 egg
150g breadcrumbs (see tip)
1 tsp paprika
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp wholegrain mustard
a small handful of fresh chives
1/2 a lemon
Preheat the oven to 180C. Remove the leaves from your cauliflower and trim the stem. Slice into four 1/2 inch thick slices. You’ll definitely have some cauli left over, so just save that for another recipe!
Tip your cornflour onto a small plate and season with salt and pepper. Crack the egg into a wide shallow bowl and beat, and place your breadcrumbs (see tip) onto another small plate. Mix the paprika and some salt and pepper into the breadcrumbs.
Heat the oil in a large deep-sided frying pan, then get to coating your cauliflower. Dip the cauliflower in the cornflour and coat thoroughly, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs. Having one hand as your ‘dry’ hand and one as your ‘wet’ will help you to not get eggy flour all over your fingers…
Once the oil is hot (you can test this by dropping a small piece of bread into the oil and seeing if it sizzles) place your cauliflower steaks into the pan and fry for 3-4 minutes. Flip using a fish slice or tongs and fry for another 3-5 minutes.
Then, transfer the steaks to a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes until the cauliflower is cooked through.
Meanwhile, whip up your mayo by mixing the mayonnaise and mustard in a bowl, then finely chopping and adding the chives.
Serve the schnitzel with a squeeze of lemon and a generous dollop of the mayo. A zesty salad and a few chips wouldn’t go amiss here either.
It’s no secret that fresh pasta has been having a moment in London for long enough that I’m not even sure that it’s a ‘moment’ anymore. And d’you know what? Good. Because it’s delicious, and I’ve been lucky enough to sample five tasty pastas in the past week that I will share with you now:
I’m going to start with a classic": Padella’s pici caio e pepe. It’s famed because it’s great, it’s peppery, cheesy and has that spongey bite that only pici can give. Go get it.
Another lovely entry from Padella: the tagliarini with Dorset crab, chilli and lemon. I love crab and I won’t hear a word against it, and I love it more when it’s with pasta. Get some bread to mop up the nice crabby bits at the end.
Last one from Padella, honest. This cavatelli with broccoli, garlic, chilli and anchovy was simple Italian fare at its best (with loads of parm, of course), and this nutty little pasta shape might just be a new favourite.
Taking a trip into soho now with Pastaio’s cavolo nero, ricotta salata, e.v.o oil, chilli, paccheri. Ever since my trip to Sicily last September, I have been verry into ricotta salata (niche, I know) and it’s hard to find on menus in London, so I was glad to be chowing down on this.
I can’t remember what this one was called, but I know it involved ricotta, sage and lots of butter and parmesan so naturally it was delicious.
Thanks for reading, and I intend to continue my pasta pilgrimage until I’ve tasted every bowl in London.