How to Make Yummy Gluten Free Schnitzel

“Snitzel”, “schnitzel”..….it doesn’t matter what way you say it they’re delicious. When Alex was first diagnosed with food allergies it was something our family didn’t have for a bit. I didn’t quite know how to make them without my homemade bread crumbs, sesame seeds and eggs. I thought I’d share a few of the tips and various things you can coat them in with you this week to make them allergy free.
 

When I crumb meat or patties etc. I coat in some type of flour, dip in egg and then roll in the crumb mix. There are heaps of things you can use for the crumbs – please, please, please check the ingredients if you use a pre-prepared one that the ingredients are real food. No numbers, no crap. It takes one minute to whizz up some fresh bread crumbs in your food processor or you can use quality cornflakes, an Orgran coating mix, crushed nuts or even plain crushed up rice crackers.

Here are my tips:

1.    You don’t have to use egg. Yep….that’s right. If you’re crumbing chicken you can just press your coating mix straight on if it’s fine. I used to use organic cornflake crumbs that I whizzed up myself into crumbs. There are also a variety of gluten freeOrgran coating mixes that will work for this. Note that this does not work for other meats

2.    If you’re crumbing other meats and you don’t have egg as an option just use milk. Any type of milk will do. We used oat milk when we didn’t have egg as an option

3.    My mum always added milk to the egg wash to make the egg go a bit further so you can always do that if eggs are safe and you are running low, again any type of milk will do

4.    Any flour will do for the first coat. We use arrowroot to keep it gluten free. You can use GF plain flour, cornflour, normal plain flour - whatever suits your family

5.    Save the crusts of your expensive gluten free or organic bread in the freezer to make bread crumbs when required

6.    Get out three bowls ready and do it in order. One for flour, one for the egg wash (or just milk if no egg) and one for the coating. Have your oven tray or a plate ready to go to put the meat on once crumbed. If you have time to pop it in the fridge for half an hour before you cook do so. I never have time so I just crumb, whack on the oven tray, drizzle on some oil and pop in an oven set on 180°C for about 25 minutes

7.    You can crumb fresh meat in bulk and freeze for another night. Just make sure you put a layer of baking paper in between the layers so it doesn’t all stick together
 

So, what’s our favourite coating for schnitzel? I keep it simple, grain free and try to make the coating that my kids love as nutritious as possible. I coat in arrowroot first, dip in organic egg and then I blitz 150g of organic activated blanched almonds (that I prepared earlier in bulk, you could use raw almonds) and mix with 3 tablespoons sesame seeds. Alex passed a sesame trial late last year so this is another great way for me to keep sesame in his diet regularly. I sprinkle with a little Herbamare salt and drizzle in macadamia oil. That’s it. Simple, tasty and the kids love it!
 

If you’ve got any other great coating ideas or tips please share them below as a comment.