I first heard the term “paneed”, pronounced pan-aid, on a MasterChef show. I was able to google easily, but am still surprised about the spelling and the fact that there is no accent, like in sautéed. And boy, my autocorrect went crazy with this word.
Nonetheless, it is what it is – a quick pan-frying technique for breaded cutlets, much like schnitzel, but with a Louisiana origin. It supposedly became a popular dish in restaurants in the 1970’s, most likely in New Orleans.
Some recipes for paneed veal include pasta with a cream sauce, which sounds wonderful, but most utilized Creole seasoning, plus capers, and that’s the recipe I’m using.
Basically, this is schnitzel, but slightly spiced up. I would be good with a steamed vegetable like asparagus, but I chose a green salad instead. But, it’s schnitzel.
Paneed Veal
Makes 4 servings
4 boneless veal cutlets
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning
1 cup bread crumbs
Canola or olive oil
1/4 cup fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons small capers
Lemon wedges
Pound the veal between two pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap until each piece is about 1/4-inch thick and twice its original size. (Mine arrived already pounded.)
In a shallow dish or pie plate, beat the egg and milk.
Mix the pepper, salt and Creole seasoning into the flour. I’m not big on most seasoning mixtures, so I combined sweet paprika, oregano, thyme, salt, white pepper, garlic and onion powders, and cayenne pepper.
Lightly dust the pieces of veal with the mixture, then rub and pat it into the meat. Put the bread crumbs into another shallow dish. Pass the veal through the beaten egg. Shake off the excess. Then dredge through the bread crumbs. (I first dipped the veal in the egg mixture, then the flour, then the breadcrumbs. Oh well.
Heat about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, until a pinch of bread crumbs fries vigorously. Cook the veal without overlapping the pieces, for about 90 seconds to 2 minutes per side, until golden brown.
Remove and drain well on paper towels. Keep the pieces warm as you cook the remaining pieces.
Serve garnished with parsley and capers, with lemon wedges.
The cutlets were tender, because I didn’t overcook them. The coating was nice and crunchy.
