Chicken schnitzel with pickled radishes

40 MINUTES | SERVES 2 | EASY

cider vinegar 125ml

caster sugar 4 tbsp

bay leaf whole black peppercorns 1 tsp

mixed rainbow radishes 100g, trimmed and finely sliced

cucumber ¼, deseeded and sliced

fennel 1 small bulb, finely sliced

skinless chicken breasts 2

plain flour 50g

english mustard powder 2 tsp eggs 2, beaten

panko breadcrumbs 100g

vegetable oil 100ml

dill a small bunch, chopped

lemon 1, wedged, to serve

Heat the vinegar in a pan with 125ml of water until steaming. Stir in the sugar, bay and peppercorns, with a pinch of salt, until the sugar dissolves. Pour over the radishes, cucumber and fennel, toss well and leave for 10-15 minutes or until cool, or cover and chill for 24 hours if you want a pink pickle.

Butterfly the chicken breasts out like a book, then bash with a rolling pin between two sheets of baking paper until about 5mm thick. Whisk the flour and mustard on a plate and season. Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl, and put the breadcrumbs in another. Dredge the chicken in the flour, then dip in the egg, and coat in the breadcrumbs. Repeat with the eggs and breadcrumbs to get a really good even crust.

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over a medium-high heat, adding more to cover the base if you need to, and fry the chicken for 5 minutes until golden brown. Flip the chicken and cook until crisp and cooked through. Drain on kitchen paper and season with sea salt flakes. Serve with the pickled radishes scattered with dill, and the lemon wedges to squeeze over.

PER SERVING 663 kcals | fat 22.1G | saturates 2.5G | carbs 63.8G | sugars 9.7G | fibre 5.8G | protein 49.3G | salt 1.2G