Ingredients
Veal
- 4large veal escalopes, about 180 g each
- or pork or turkey escalopes
Filling
- 4 slicesgood cooked ham, or prosciutto cotto
- 4 slicesfirm cheese: Gouda, Emmental or a Croatian young cheese
Coating
- 100 gplain flour
- 3eggs, beaten
- 200 gfine dry breadcrumbs
- salt and white pepper
To fry
- clarified butter, or a mix of butter and oil, at least 1 cm deep
To serve
- lemon wedges
- chips or boiled potatoes with parsley
- tartare sauce
- a green salad
Directions
- Lay each escalope between two sheets of cling film and beat it out to about 5 mm. Use the flat side of a mallet and strike outward from the centre rather than straight down. It should end up thin, even and large enough to fold over the filling with room to spare.
- Check it against the light for any thin patches or tears. Season the meat itself with salt and white pepper. Use a firm cheese that melts smoothly without turning liquid. Cut the cheese slightly smaller than the ham. Lay a slice of ham on one half of the escalope, then the cheese on top of the ham, then fold the ham over the cheese.
- Leave a clear border of at least 2 cm of meat around the filling on all sides. Filling that reaches the edge means the two layers of meat never join, and the cheese finds its way out immediately. Beat the edges gently with the mallet to fuse them. Now chill the assembled parcels for at least an hour.
- Dredge in seasoned flour and pat off the excess. Shake the flour off properly, since a thick layer goes pasty under the egg and the crumb slides away. Dip in beaten egg, then press into the breadcrumbs. Chill the coated schnitzels again for 30 minutes.
- Heat clarified butter in a wide pan to a depth of at least 1 cm, to about 170°C. The schnitzel should swim rather than sit in a film of fat, which is the same principle as a Wiener schnitzel and it is what lets the coating puff.
- Keep the temperature moderate. This is a thick parcel and it needs time for the middle to heat through, and hot fat burns the crumb long before that. Fry 4 to 5 minutes a side until deep golden. Turn it once only, gently, with a wide spatula. Do not press it down with the spatula, which forces the cheese out through any weakness.
- Lift it out and drain it briefly on a rack. Let it rest for 2 minutes before cutting. Serve it with lemon, chips or parsley potatoes and a green salad. It must be fried to order and never reheated, since the coating softens and the cheese goes rubbery.
Technique
- It is closely related to cordon bleu and the origins of both are contested.
- Wrapping the cheese inside the ham is the key to it not leaking.
- Tartare sauce is the standard Croatian accompaniment.
Substitutions
- Pork or turkey escalopes in place of veal.
- A mix of butter and oil in place of clarified butter.
Variations
- Made with pork, which is the everyday version.
- With mushrooms added to the filling.
- Made without the ham, as a plain cheese-stuffed schnitzel.
History
A Zagreb creation of the twentieth century related to the Viennese schnitzel and to cordon bleu; a fixture of the city’s restaurants.
Frequently asked questions
What is Zagrebački odrezak?
Zagrebački odrezak is a main from Croatia: veal schnitzel stuffed with ham and cheese, breaded and fried. A Zagreb creation of the twentieth century related to the Viennese schnitzel and to cordon bleu; a fixture of the city’s restaurants.
How long does Zagrebački odrezak take to make?
Zagrebački odrezak takes 30 min plus 1 hr chilling of preparation and 15 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Zagrebački odrezak?
Yes, within limits. Pork or turkey escalopes in place of veal. A mix of butter and oil in place of clarified butter.
What is the most important thing to get right in Zagrebački odrezak?
Lay each escalope between two sheets of cling film and beat it out to about 5 mm. Use the flat side of a mallet and strike outward from the centre rather than straight down. It should end up thin, even and large enough to fold over the filling with room to spare.
