Culinary genes

Yesterday the Fox nervously prepared & cooked Viennese Chicken. This is essentially breadcrumbed chicken which is then fried.

Why so nervous? Partly because, over many years, he’s watched my struggles to keep breadcrumbs on. I finally seem to have worked out how to do it. Indeed we had Turkey Nuggets, homemade with real leftover turkey & successfully crumbed, for dinner on Monday. I’ve come to the conclusion it does help if the crumbed item can sit in the fridge an hour or so before progressing to the frying.

The other reason is that his mother was such an expert. Anyone who had her breadcrumbed pork will remember it with awe. The meat was so tender & tasty. The crumbs immaculate. She never bothered with anything like egg. The dried breadcrumbs just seem to leap onto the pork fillet & stick there, obedient to her wishes.

I’m convinced it’s something in the genes. The Fox has only done breadcrumbing twice that I can think of. Each time the crumbs have stuck on no problem. I can’t believe it’s my expert teaching, not when I’ve had so many problems over the years.

As for the result of his endeavours, the chicken breasts were magnificently moist & tender, almost melting in the mouth. Indeed the consistency was not unlike his mother’s pork in breadcrumbs.

How I wish I could be as successful!