Personally, I never really understood what all the fuss was about when it came to breaded cutlet. It’s a very popular food in Spain, and it’s the most typical “kiddies menu” together with spaghetti bolognese. I’ve just never been a huge fan of deep fried stuff – I know, gasp! -. When I first came to Germany in 2009, a sweet innocent babe of 24, to work as an Au pair for a lovely German family who I will always hold dear to me , this fact still shocked me. Schnitzel was all the rage in this particular part of the world, one of the most asked for dishes and most celebrated. I was absolutely baffled.
Enter Kochkäse – cooked cheese -, a recipe that combines two types of cheese (Hartkäse and Quark) together with other ingredients to form a sort of spreadable cheese with a gummy-like texture. It might not sound very appetizing, but if you are a cheese lover like me you should definitely give it a try. It is delicious and it can be combined with a variety of things. But my favourite combo, and the reason I became addicted to schnitzel, is this recipe. You basically cover your schnitzel with as much Kochkäse as you like (sometimes it comes with cumin in it, which makes it even better), you put the “music” on top and gobble it up! As far as I understand, this is a recipe typical of the Hesse region (which is where I stayed, in the lovely town of Alsbach-Hähnlein). And this is the funniest part of this recipe: the “music” is a topping made with onion and vinegar, and it’s named this way because it makes one very musical while digesting (meaning, gas).
So there you have it, this is the recipe that sold me. I mean, schnitzel with STUFF on it is just so much better than just plain breaded schnitzel. Especially if STUFF means CHEESE. Here are some of the popular brands I’ve seen at supermarkets:
http://www.discounter-preisvergleich.de/Kochkaese-REWE-10576.html
http://germandeli.co.uk/cheese-dairy-products/1613-kochkase-mit-kummel.html
https://www.metro.de/cat/de/products/product/11168001001
My version comes without the “music” because my stomach does not tolerate raw onion, but I’ll give you the full recipe so you can decide for yourself if you like it better with or without “music”. The below amounts are for one person:
- 1 medium onion
- 2 tbsp apple or white wine vinegar
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
- Dice the onion into small bits and place in a bowl.
- Emulsify the vinegar and olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour over the onion and let sit (the Germans swear by letting sit overnight!).
- 200g cutlet, sliced finely so that it cooks evenly
- a few tbsp flour
- an egg
- bread crumbs
- salt and pepper
- oil for deep frying
- Dip the cutlet in flour making sure it’s completely covered. This helps the egg stick better.
- Beat the egg in a deep bowl or plate, in order to dip the cutlet on both sides.
- In a separate bowl or plate, pour the bread crumbs, making sure it’s completely covered and well pressed. This will help the crumb coat to really hold.
- Heat up some oil in a deep pan and deep fry the breaded cutlet for a few minutes each side until golden.
- With the help of tongs, pull the cutlet/s out of the oil and place on a plate with some absorbent paper to soak up some of the oil.
Now all you need to do is place your hot cutlet on a plate, pour Kochkäse to your heart’s content and top it off with the “music”! Don’t forget to warn your SO about the concert they will be subjected to after digging into this delicacy!
