with Warm Potato and Garden Bean Salad and Creamy Mustard Sauce
Reprinted with permission from Golden Door Cooks at Home: Favorite Recipes From the Celebrated Spa by Dean Rucker and Marah Stets (April 2009 Clarkson Potter) $40.
Serves 4
Schnitzel is the German word for a cutlet of meat, and it usually refers to a cutlet-veal in the case of the classic Wiener schnitzel-that has been breaded and fried. Of course, breaded and fried chicken cutlets served with cream sauce are not typical spa fare, but you can enjoy this dish without any guilt. The trick to making really crisp schnitzel without frying it in an inch of oil is to use very dry, crunchy bread crumbs. The warm potato and bean salad was inspired by the abundant garden here at the Golden Door. It’s a riff on the traditional warm German potato salad, but lighter and crunchier than the original.
For the chicken:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, preferably 4 (4-ounce) breasts
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 large egg white
3 (1/2-inch) slices fresh whole wheat bread, cubed (2 1/2 cups)
1/4 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/4 cup)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil spray
For the warm potato and garden bean salad:
12 ounces fingerling potatoes, baby Yukon Gold, or baby red potatoes, halved (2 cups)
4 ounces fresh yellow wax beans, trimmed and halved if very long (1 cup)
4 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed and halved if very long (1 cup)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
For the creamy mustard sauce:
Olive oil spray
1 tablespoon minced shallot or onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup evaporated skim milk
1/3cup light or low-fat sour cream (do not use nonfat)
1/4 cup whole-grain mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (optional)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Method:
Prepare the chicken. Place one breast of chicken on a cutting board and use a sharp knife held horizontally to slice the chicken in half through the center to form two thin cutlets. Place one cutlet between two sheets of plastic wrap and use the flat side of a meat pounder or a rolling pin to pound it to 1/4 inch thick. If the pounded cutlet is very large, cut it in half. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg white, and pour it into a large, shallow baking dish. Put the chicken in the buttermilk and turn over to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
While the chicken is marinating, preheat the oven to 275°F.
Process the bread cubes in a food processor until ground to crumbs. Arrange the crumbs on a rimmed baking sheet in a thin layer. Toast in the oven until the crumbs are completely dry and hard, shaking the pan occasionally, about 15 minutes. Set aside 1 cup; reserve any excess for another recipe.
Lower the oven temperature to 200°F.
Prepare the potato and bean salad. Put the potatoes in a large saucepan and add enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, until fork-tender, about 20 minutes. Add the yellow and green beans to the saucepan with the potatoes and boil until the beans are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together the vinegar, oil, and mustard. Drain the potatoes and beans and add them to the bowl. Toss to combine. Cover with foil and keep warm in the oven while you cook the chicken.
Mix the 1 cup bread crumbs and the Parmesan on a plate. Remove one piece of chicken from the buttermilk and shake off the excess liquid. Season both sides with salt and pepper and then press each side into the bread crumb mixture. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
Spray two large nonstick or cast-iron skillets with olive oil and heat over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add as many pieces of chicken as can easily fit; you should hear a sizzle. Cook until the underside is golden brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. Turn and cook until the other side is golden brown and crisp and the chicken is opaque all the way through, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a platter and keep warm in the oven while you cook any remaining cutlets.
Prepare the creamy mustard sauce. Spray a small saucepan with olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook, stirring, until slightly translucent and fragrant and not at all brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the evaporated milk and bring to a simmer. Whisk in the sour cream, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the black and cayenne peppers, if desired, and the parsley.
To serve, place a mound of warm potato bean salad on each plate. Arrange two pieces of chicken next to the salad. Spoon the sauce around the plate and drizzle a little over the chicken. Serve.
Reprinted with permission from Golden Door Cooks at Home: Favorite Recipes From the Celebrated Spa by Dean Rucker and Marah Stets (April 2009 Clarkson Potter) $40
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