Sunday Feast № 8 | Polish Comfort

Kotlet schabowy. I am strongly attracted to the breaded pork cutlet. You can have your Viennese schnitzel, I rather opt for the familiar comfort and the memories of the whole cultural shebang.      You see, I always liked when Mum made it and I put up with her predilection to heavily sprinkle the kotlet, and potatoes it was inevitably paired with, with parsley whenever parsley was on hand, which seemed to be most of the time, and how every time I lamented "Enough!" she retorted in a matter of fact fashion with "But it's good for you", parsley that is. Fussing about, or worse still rejection of, what was put in front of you was not the done thing. This was where Dad occasionally interjected with a reminder that "You will eat what you're given." So ultimately, that parsley and those potatoes were dues to be paid while enjoying the kotlet I was given.      The whole "You will eat what you're given" was as much a parenting technique and about respecting the cook as a reflection of the place and time. Food shortages, restrictions, or whatever it really was, prevalent back in the days of Poland under Communist rule meant that if the food arrived in the shop most often there wasn't enough to go around. It was a case of either being "first in [the queue/line], best [fed]" or having the right connections. When you got it, you didn't waste it. Pounding of those cutlets was a surefire indication to the next door neighbors living in the same klatka schodowa w bloku (that is the stairwell in one of those hideous buildings constructed all across Soviet Bloc countries during the second half of the 20th century, that beyond Soviet Bloc would find siblings in U.S. housing projects and someone's idea of modern affordable high density housing in 1970s) that you got some. Which led itself to comedic scenarios in movies, and maybe even real life, where the cook of the house would pound the kitchen counter in imitation of to get under the skin of the neighbors - a "keeping up with the Joneses" twist.      Nowadays I will take that kotlet with any sides especially if Mum's cooking. Although typically herbs such as rosemary, dill or sage would not be added to the breadcrumb mixture, the recipe from "The Food and Cooking of Poland" by Ewa Michalik has these three in the mix (rosemary and sage are really the odd ones here but cuisine moves with access and times). Make as many as you like since they reheat well, and serve with mashed potatoes or boiled red potatoes, sauerkraut or red cabbage (with or without apple), cauliflower po polsku, okra, green beans, brussel sprouts with bacon and balsamic, or anything you like with breaded pork cutlets.

Fun on the side and after Watch "Sex and the City" marathon starting when Carrie meets the Russian "Shameless" anytime, any season "Dark Star: HR Giger's World" "Homeland" Season 5 Drink Vodka, what else!

4 boneless pork cutlets with fat on, each weighing about 225 g/8 oz ½ tsp salt ½ tsp ground black pepper 1 cup plain all-purpose flour 2 eggs beaten 1 cup fine fresh breadcrumbs 1 tbsp each of chopped fresh rosemary, dill and sage, or dry equivalent 5 tbsp vegetable oil fresh parsley sprigs to garnish

Cut slits in the rind of the pork to prevent it from curling during cooking. Using a meat mallet, rolling pin or the base of a frying pan, pound each cutlet lightly on each side to flatten, then sprinkle each side with salt and pepper. You might want to put each cutlet between layers of cling wrap for the pounding. Put the flour and beaten eggs in separate bowls. In another bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with the chopped herbs. Dip both sides of each cutlet first in the flour, then beaten eggs and then in the breadcrumb mixtures. Heat the oil in a frying pan, then add the breaded cutlets and fry on a high heat for 3-5 min on each side, until golden brown. Reduce the heat and cook for a further 2 min to ensure the cutlets are cooked all the way through. Garnish with parsley and serve warm with your choice of sides.