Originally Austrian, a schnitzel is basically a thin steak of meat coated in breadcrumbs. This chicken recipe is made more interesting by the addition of Pecorino cheese.
My recipe is for two people, but is easily adapted for more. You just need more cheese and breadcrumbs.
The breasts need to be flattened out until they are about 1cm thick. To do this with the minimum of mess, put them between two sheets of cling wrap and pound them with a rolling pin or something similar.
Mix together the breadcrumbs and the cheese, then scatter them in an even layer on a suitable plate. Season the chicken breasts with salt and black pepper, dip them first in the beaten egg and then in the breadcrumbs to coat them thoroughly.
Spray the schnitzels with olive oil to moisten the breadcrumbs and broil (or grill) for about five minutes each side.
*You can buy spray cans of olive oil in your local supermarket or, if you want to make hard work of it, you can buy a pump-up spray from your kitchenware store which is refillable.
