Pork schnitzel with sharp tomato salsa

Crumbed food is always a winner with my children, although I suspect that its appeal lies largely in it being a vehicle for tomato sauce.Schnitzel is fast to prepare (unless the boys are helping with the crumbing, in which case it’s slow and messy) and while the schnitzel is cooking you can prepare the salsa and a green salad to serve alongside. Panko crumbs give a great crunch to the coating and they also seem to soak up less oil during cooking. They are available in most supermarkets – either in the international section or next to the dried breadcrumbs.

300g pork schnitzel
1⁄2 cup flour
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
1@1⁄2 cups panko crumbs
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped thyme leaves
olive oil for frying
lemon wedges to serve

Put the schnitzel between 2 sheets of baking paper then quickly pound with a rolling pin to flatten the pieces a little more. Use kitchen scissors to make small snips around each piece (this will ensure they don’t roll up during cooking).

Put the flour in a flat dish, the egg in a bowl and combine the panko crumbs and thyme in another flat dish. Dredge each piece of schnitzel in the flour, shaking off the excess, then dip in the egg until well coated. Allow the excess egg to drip off then place in the panko crumbs and gently pat down on each side, ensuring that it is well coated. Place on a baking tray while coating the remaining schnitzel. Either cook straight away or refrigerate for 30 minutes or so (it’s good if you do have time to do this, as it helps the crumbs to set).

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add enough oil to cover the bottom generously. Add the schnitzel (you may need to do this in batches – if so, keep the cooked pieces warm in the oven) and cook for 2-3 minutes each side or until golden. Drain on kitchen paper then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately with the following salsa and lemon wedges.

Sharp tomato salsa
3-4 tomatoes, cored, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon capers
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Mix together all the ingredients in a bowl then taste and season.