This Austrian specialty has a long and illustrious history. Traditionally it is made with thin slices of veal, coated in breadcrumbs and fried. It is very important to use plain breadcrumbs and not flavoured ones. If however veal is unavailable, you could use pork fillets, chicken breasts fillets or even thin slices of rump or sirloin.

6 veal schnitzels
Salt and pepper

300g flour
3 eggs, beaten
300g plain breadcrumbs

Pork fat or oil
2 lemons, cut into wedges
Parsley for garnish

1. Take the schnitzels, and with a sharp knife, cut gently across the grain, ensuring that you do not cut all the way through the meat. Lightly pound with a meat mallet to flatten evenly, then prick with a point of a knife all over and season.
2. Place the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in three separate flat bowls.
3. When ready to fry, dip the schnitzels in batches, first into the flour, then the eggs, and last into the breadcrumbs, shaking off the excess each time.
4. Heat approximately 2cm of oil in a large pan, and once very hot, fry the schnitzels in batches, in one layer until golden on both sides. Drain on paper towel and then place on a warmed serving dish, while you fry the remainder.
5. Serve with wedges of lemon, a potato salad, creamed spinach, spicy cabbage and/or a green salad.

Serves 6

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studios. Cooking lessons are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our cookery classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

Q: I have tried to recreate this ready meal (chicken and broccoli dish) from Woolies but without success. Any suggestions?

A: I am not sure what dish it is but if you are looking for something with Broccoli and Chicken I would suggest the recipe below although it does not have chicken in this dish it is an easy addition, simply Slice 2-3 breasts and fry until just cooked and the continue from (Pasta) step 2 in the recipe below.

This is a quick version of a classic Italian dish called tagliatella alla Genovese. Its not known practice to put potato shavings into a pasta dish but adding shavings and mash are a very authentic way of creating a wonderful creaminess and an amazing taste. Why not try it?

Basil Pesto
4 cups basil roughly chopped with stalks
1 cup pine nuts
±1t sea salt
¼ cup Parmesan
1-2 cups olive oil

2 medium potatos peeled and then sliced with the peeler
2 small heads of broccoli cut into florets and thick stalks thinly sliced
2 cups fresh basil ½ roughly chopped ½ leaves for garnish
Grated Parmesan
500g dried tagliatelle
Salt and pepper
½ cup basil pesto (see below)

Basil Pesto

1. Put the basil, pine nuts and salt in a morte and pestle and grind until a paste has formed.
2. Add the Parmesan and pound until it has been soaked into the basil.
3. Slowly add the olive oil, mixing continuously until the desired paste has formed.

Pasta

1. Bring a Large pot of water to the boil. Add ½ a handful of sea salt and allow to come back up to the boil. Add the pasta and broccoli stalks and stir in, allow to cook for ±8 minutes.
2. Add the broccoli florets and potato slices and leave for a further 2-4min (important not to over cook your pasta) then strain well reserving some of the cooking water.
3. Transfer the cooked pasta to a large warm serving bowl and toss in the chopped basil, basil pesto and Parmesan. Mix in well. If the sauce is to thick add some cooking water 1T at a time until the desired consistency is achieved.
4. Season with salt and pepper and then garnish with the remaining basil leaves and Parmesan.

TIP: to create different pestos just add different “main ingredients” e.g. sun dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, roasted butternut, different fresh herbs i.e.; coriander, mint, rocket.

Serves 4

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Wickedfood cooking school runs Johannesburg cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. Cooking lessons are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our cooking courses are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

These marinated whole chickens in a home-made peri-peri sauce, are perfect for braaing, alternatively roast in a very hot oven. Adjust the heat, by the number of chillies you add.

2 x 1,2 to 1,5kg chickens

Marinade
Salt and pepper
200g soft butter
4-10 small whole peri-peri dried chillies, crushed
±2T lemon juice
8 cloves garlic, minced
2t paprika
2T olive oil
2t chicken stock powder

1. Clean chickens and spatchcock, by cutting them down the spine, then opening and pressing them to flatten. Slit through the thick parts of the chicken, especially the breasts and legs. This allows the marinade to penetrate and to cook more evenly.

Marinade

1. Make a paste with the ingredients and rub over the inside and outside of the chicken. Allow the chicken to marinate for ±2 hours, or overnight in the fridge.
2. If roasting in the oven, then preheat 220°C.
3. Roast (or braai), for ±45 minutes, turning every 15 minutes, and basting the chicken with the paste every time it is turned.
4. Cut into pieces and serve with potatoes and a salad.

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Boksburg – (011) 823-5365 boksburg@wickedfood.co.za

Runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

14 fresh green asparagus spears
7 large chicken breast fillets
7 thin slices mortadella
7 thin slices fontina or gruyere
Flour for dusting, seasoned with salt and pepper
2T grapeseed oil
3T butter
±1/4 cup Marsala

1. Wash asparagus and remove woody ends (hold asparagus half way down and bend ends gently, it will snap at its natural breaking point). Blanch in a little boiling salted water for 3 minutes. Drain, reserving 3T of the cooking liquid for the sauce.
2. Slice each chicken breast horizontally but not right through, leave a “spine”, place on a board and pound gently, to flatten to more or less the same shape as the mortadella.
3. Season with salt and pepper then place a slice of mortadella and cheese on top of each flattened breast.
4. Place two asparagus spears in the center, running across the shortest widths with the tips hanging out of opposite sides of the breast.
5. Roll each breast up tightly and secure with string or toothpicks. Roll in seasoned flour to coat.
6. Just before serving, heat the oil and 1T butter in a large frying pan that will hold all the rolled chicken breasts in one layer. Fry the rolls over a medium heat, covered, turning from time to time, until golden, with the cheese starting to melt – ±10 minutes. Cut in half and transfer to a heated serving dish and keep warm.
7. Add the Marsala, reserved asparagus cooking liquid and butter to the pan, increase the heat and bring to the boil. Simmer for ±3 minutes, scraping the pan to loosen all of the cooking juices. Adjust the seasoning, spoon over the rolls and serve immediately.

Serves 6-8

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Boksburg – (011) 823-5365 boksburg@wickedfood.co.za

Runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

Q: How do I get a smoky flavour to meat that is cooked in a kettle braai?

A: Smoking with Speciality Wood – Speciality wood is the secret many grill fanatics swear by for authentic barbecue smoke flavour. Which type of speciality wood to use is widely debated, since each creates a certain flavour. Think of speciality wood as a seasoning for your barbecue. Using it will give flavour to the meat just like using a barbecue sauce.

Varieties of Speciality Woods – Wood from nut trees, such as hickory and pecan, tends to be much stronger flavoured, which some people don’t like. Fruit trees tend to have milder flavours – pecan, cherry, hickory, oak, orange, mulberry, apple, peach, apricot. Until you know which type of smoking wood you like, you might want to try a variety. That way, you can experiment with different flavours without having to buy a whole bunch of different cooking woods.

How to Cook With Speciality Woods – Like wine, certain types of specialty woods go best with certain types of meat. Most barbecue experts like oak with beef, and lighter fruitwoods, such as apple, with chicken. Many seasoned chefs also mix their smoking woods. For instance, you can use half pecan and half apple for a new taste when grilling chicken.
To use speciality woods, soak the wood chips in water for at least half an hour before adding them to the grill. If you have a smoker box in your grill, you can put the chips there. If you are using a gas grill, wrap them in foil and puncture a few holes. If you are using a charcoal grill, you can put them in right on top of the coals.

Smoky roast chicken

Simple roast chicken is delicious. Together with baked potatoes and boiled vegetables, or a green salad it makes a really good healthy family meal. For a delicious slightly smoky flavour, there is no better way of cooking chicken, than on a kettlebraai. Simply rub with salt and pepper, and maybe a bit of lemon juice and cook. The addition of wood to the fire as you put the chicken on gives a wonderful smoky flavour.

1 x ±1,5kg chicken
Salt and pepper
Lemon juice – optional

1-2 sticks of fruit tree wood

1. Trim the chicken of excess fat, checking especially the neck and tail cavities and make sure that there are no feathers left on.
2. Rub the chicken well, including the stomach cavity, with salt and pepper, and lemon juice if using.
3. Place the chicken on the roasting grid of the kettlebraai, breast side down with a container underneath to catch any dripping juices. Add the wood onto the coals, if using.
4. Roast the chicken for 40 minutes, at about 180°C, then turn it over, breast side up and roast for a further 20 minutes.
5. Carve into pieces and serve.

Serves 4

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Boksburg – (011) 823-5365 boksburg@wickedfood.co.za

Runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these classes are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.