Pork Schnitzel with Nut and Berry Crust

Schnitzel is brilliant. Once you get past the basics, a whole world opens up. What else can you put on a beautiful piece of hand-hammered schnitzel? This round, my beautiful piece of pork was encrusted in nuts and seeds and a hint of sweetness from dried cranberries. It's paired with a simple carrot and potato mash, beans and courgette fried in olive oil and glazed in lemon juice. I'm going to work on a few variations in the meantime. Oh, the possibilities!

Ingredients

4 Pork Rump Steaks

100g Walnuts

50g Pumpkin Seeds

50g Wholegrain Breadcrumbs

25g Sunflower Seeds

25g Dried Cranberries

Dried Oregano

2 Eggs

1/2 Cup Flour

3 Courgettes, halved lengthways and sliced

2 Handfuls of Flat Beans, stringy bits removed and cut into pieces

800g Agria (starchy) Potatoes, peeled and cubed.

4 Medium Carrots, peeled and cut into chunks.

1/4 Cup of Lemon Juice

Salt

Pepper

Olive Oil

Method

Preheat the oven to 220 C.

In a food processor, blitz the walnuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, breadcrumbs and cranberries. Transfer them to a bowl for dipping, and mix through 2 teaspoons of dried oregano.

Hammer the rump steaks between two pieces of cling film on a chopping board. I used a rolling pin. Hammer it out until it's about half a centimetre thick. Coat them in flour.

Whisk the two eggs really well in a bowl. Dip each in egg and then into the bowl. Coat both sides. Really press the mixture into the schnitzel and place on an oiled baking tray.

Boil the potatoes and carrots until tender.

Near the end of the boiling of potatoes and carrots, put the tray of schnitzel in the oven.

Saute the beans and courgette in olive oil on a high heat. Once the courgettes are soft put in the lemon juice. Cook until it starts to stick then take off the heat.

Drain the potatoes and carrots. Roughly mash with a few lugs of olive oil and a generous nudge of salt.

After about ten minutes in the oven, the schnitzel should be done. Pull it out of the oven. Serve layered as above, so you get all the flavours in one. Season well.

I had mine with a homemade hot sauce.

Enjoy!