Cravings

[talon]

I am having left over cafeteria lasagna with a baked sweet potato for lunch, but what I really want is a plate of German chicken cutlets stuffed with sauerkraut, a tangy German potato salad, a crustly slice of landbrot and butter, and a bowl of berries in thickened sweet cream.

In case anyone out there is able to cook it for themselves, I offer you a recipe for the stuffed chicken cutlets:

Sauerkraut Stuffed Chicken Cutlets



6 boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (about 1 ¼ pounds, thawed if you're using frozen)

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 large egg whites

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

2 teaspoons minced garlic

½ teaspoon thyme

Dijon mustard

1 ½ ounces thinly sliced provolone

1 ½ ounces thinly sliced ham

3 tablespoons sauerkraut, packed, more for serving

3/8 teaspoon caraway seeds (or black mustard seeds or nigella seeds)

2 cups plain bread crumbs (or panko - I prefer panko)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, for frying.

Season chicken lightly with salt and pepper (if you prefer, and I generally do, you can use Nature's Seasoning Blend instead of the salt and pepper). In a bowl, whisk together the egg whites, cornstarch, parsley, garlic, and thyme until the lumps dissolve and the mixture is slightly foamy. Set it aside for now.

Brush one side of each chicken cutlet with mustard. Divide the cheese and ham among 3 of the cutlets and place them on the mustard side. Top each with 1 tablespoon sauerkraut and 1/8 teaspoon caraway seeds (you can leave off the caraway seeds and use black mustard seed instead, or the milder nigella seeds). Arrange the remaining 3 cutlets mustard-side down on top of the sauerkraut to sandwich the ham and cheese in. Press to seal.

Dip each stuffed cutlet in the egg white mixture and dredge in the bread crumbs or panko. You can do this several hours ahead and refrigerate until needed. The refrigeration sets the breading and makes for a crisper, greaseless cutlet.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully place the cutlets in the hot oil and fry until dark brown and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes a side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain; serve hot. I like to top this with a creamy cheesy gravy.

3 servings.