You must all realise by now that I like to take humble staples and turn them into something good.  Well this took the humble old Pork Schnitty to something GREAT!  The unique nutty flavour of quinoa flakes replaced the boring old breadcrumb.   The smooth, sweet and creamy pea puree replaced age old mash (no fear, I still love a good old mash) and the radish and fennel salad?  Well that super combo dressed in a light buttermilk and dill dressing took the withered old salad to dashing new heights!  This was a triumph!

Quinoa flakes can border on the expensive but I reckon you can probably get 4 x schnitzel dinners out of a bag.  It costs about $7.00 a bag but if you break it down it turns out to be less than $2 per dinner, which in the whole grand scheme of things is not too bad.  I have to say, it really did taste fantastic and to me it was worth every cent.  If you simply can’t justify it, you are welcome to use whatever breadcrumbs you like. The flakes can be found in the health food section of the supermarket.

 

Prep time:  30 Minutes                Cooking time:  20  Minutes                $$  Medium Budget

 

Serves 4

 

Oil for frying (I used rice bran)

700gm of Pork leg steak (or pork sizzle steak)

1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tbs of milk

1 heaped tablespoon of plain flour

11/2 cups of quinoa flakes

Grated rind of 1 lemon

1 tsp of chilli flakes (optional)

Sea salt and cracked pepper

Baby watercress and sorrel for garnish (totally optional, a sprinkling of finely chopped dill is fine)

 

For the Puree:

 

500gm of baby peas

2 tbs of chicken stock

20gm of butter

100ml of pure cream

1 sprig of mint, leaves removed and stalks discarded

A squeeze of lemon

Sea salt & cracked pepper

 

For the Salad

 

1 baby Fennel bulb, thinly sliced with a mandolin of food processor

4 radishes, thinly sliced with a mandolin or food processor (I managed to get my hands on some funky purple ones at Coles)

1/2 a red onion, finely sliced

2 tbs of extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup of buttermilk

1 heaped tsp of dijon mustard

1 tbs of white wine vinegar

1/2 tsp of caster sugar

A squeeze of lemon

Sea salt and pepper

1 tbs of finely chopped dill

Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

 

To crumb the pork, set yourself up an assembly line.  Place the plain flour on one plate and season with salt and pepper, have your whisked egg and milk in a shallow bowl and then place your quinoa flakes on another plate.  To reduce washing up, I place a piece of baking paper on the plates and that way all I have to do is scrunch that up and put it in the bin when I am done.  Grate the lemon rind over the quinoa flakes and add the chilli.  Toss the flakes lightly with your fingers to combine.  If the pork is a little too thick, give it a little tap with a meat mallet or rolling pin before crumbing.  Place a piece of pork in the flour and lightly coat both sides, shaking to get rid of any excess.  Dip it in the egg and then press it into the crumbs so that you have a nice even coating.  Pop on a tray and repeat with the remaining pork.  Place it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes while you prepare the rest of the meal.

 

To make the pea puree, place the peas, mint, stock and butter in a saucepan and place a lid on.  Bring to a simmer and allow the peas to steam for approximately 5 minutes or until just warmed through.  Pour the pea mixture into a Nutri Ninja, food processor or blender and add the cream and a good sprinkling of sea salt and pepper.  Blend until super smooth and then use a spatula to transfer back to the saucepan, so that it can be reheated just before serving.

 

Place the thinly sliced fennel, radish and onion in a bowl and cover with ice cold water for a few minutes to really crisp things up.  In another small bowl combine the buttermilk, olive oil, dijon mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, dill and salt and pepper and whisk until emulsified and smooth.  Drain the salad veggies well and then dress with half of the dressing, tossing to combine.

 

Preheat the oven to 180°C.  Heat a large frypan and add enough oil to cover the base of the pan by about 0.5cm. Fry the schnitzels on both sides for 3-4 minutes or until nice and golden and crispy.  Place them on a lined baking tray with a rack and pop them in the oven for a few minutes so they stay crispy.

 

To serve, reheat the pea puree for a couple of minutes, stirring continuously until hot.  Place a generous dollop or two on each plate and use the back of your spoon to flatten it out in a nice circular motion.  Pop a schnitzel or two on top and then use your fingers to pile a nice helping of the salad on top.  Drizzle over the remaining dressing and a good lug of Extra Virgin.  Scatter over the micro herbs or chopped fresh dill and serve……

 

Leftover Buttermilk?  Consider this…..