A Solid Meal

A couple of weeks ago we had a few chicken breasts left in the meat drawer. Maybe it was because Nina's cousin Ana was staying with us for a few days--a reminder of our wedding--or maybe it was because I just really felt the need to finally try making a couple of these dishes myself, but yesterday I went entirely by the Krstic family playbook: Vienna schnitzel (made w/ chicken instead of pork), dill and parsley peas, and potato salad.

To give the master her due, I ceded the pea preparation to Nina. My understanding of the process, though, is as follows. Let two pounds of frozen peas thaw at room temperature for one to two hours. Dice one large onion into pea-sized pieces. Chop about two cups of fresh dill and about one cup of fresh parsley very finely. Sautee the onions in a few tablespoons of vegetable oil until translucent. Add the peas and enough water to make the peas float. Add vegeta (a Serbian spice blend) until the water tastes salty (about two tablespoons). Cook the peas on a low simmer for about twenty minutes. Add the parsley and dill and allow to cook for two to three additional minutes. Slowly add cornstarch while stirring until the mixture is slightly viscous. Serve warm.

The potato salad I felt competent to conquer myself. I cubed about ten potatoes and then boiled them in salt water until I could just pierce them with a fork. I then drained them and ran cold water over them and allowed them to cool while I prepared the rest of the dish. That consisted of about three quarters of a cup of finely diced "dry neck" (a kind of cured pork) and two or three diced onions. I sauteed the dry neck in two to three tablespoons of oil until they started to brown. I then added the onions and continued to sautee until the onions were translucent. I tossed the potatoes gently with the sauteed onions and meat, perhaps a quarter cup of apple cider vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Chill before serving.

The Vienna schnitzel is fun to make as long as you like to get dirty. Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally and pound the halves until they are very thin. Coat them in lightly beaten egg, then mustard (I like Gulden's spicy brown) and finally dredge them in bread crumbs. Fill a skillet with enough vegetable (or similar) oil to just cover the cutlets and heat it until it just starts to shimmer. Fry the chicken in the oil until the bread crumbs brown slightly. As long as you keep the oil temperature steady the chicken should just finish cooking when this happens.

This hearty meal is a bit like a happy meal: all of a kid's favorite flavors without a lot of attention to balance, but man is it good! Prijatno!