Chicken schnitzel with braised peas and pea salsa

Gluten free

Dairy free

Prep Cook Serves Cost 15 min 45 min 2

About £4.50 a head

For the salsa

90ml olive oil

1 tsp black mustard seeds

80g frozen peas or petit pois, plus 150g extra for the braised peas

Fine sea salt and black pepper

For the braised peas 60g unsalted butter 2 large shallots, peeled, halved and roughly chopped (110g)

1 baby gem lettuce, cut into 6 wedges

2 anchovy fillets in oil, drained and roughly chopped 50g plain flour, plus 1 tbsp extra

200ml chicken stock

For the schnitzels 150g fine semolina 1 medium egg, beaten

2 tbsp dijon mustard, plus extra to serve

2 tbsp wasabi paste 2 skinless chicken breasts (400g)

10g mint leaves, roughly chopped

Here, semolina makes a light and crisp crust for a comforting schnitzel.

For the salsa, put two teaspoons of oil in a medium saucepan on a medium heat, add the mustard seeds and cook for two minutes, until they pop. Take off the heat, stir in 80g peas and leave to cook in the residual heat. Transfer to a mortar, add a quarterteaspoon of salt, then crush gently.

For the braised peas, return the pan to a medium heat and add the butter. Once melted, add the shallots and half a teaspoon of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, for two minutes, until slightly softened. Add the remaining 150g peas, the lettuce wedges and the anchovies, and cook for five minutes more, until softened. Add a tablespoon of flour, stir for a minute, then pour in the stock, turn the heat to low and leave to braise for 10 minutes, until nicely thickened.

Put the remaining 80ml olive oil in a large frying pan on a mediumhigh heat. Put the flour and semolina in two separate wide, shallow bowls. Mix the egg, mustard and wasabi in a third bowl. Put the chicken breasts on a board and, using a meat mallet (or the base of a heavy saucepan), gently bash them to about 2cm thick. Season lightly, then, one by one, coat them first in flour, then in the egg mixture and finally in the semolina, shaking off any excess as you go.

Carefully lay one piece of chicken in the hot oil and fry for three minutes, turning once halfway, until nicely browned all over. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper, then repeat with the second piece of chicken. Leave to rest for a minute or two, then cut each breast in half.

Stir two-thirds of the mint into the braised peas, then pour into a lipped platter and arrange the chicken on top. Garnish with the salsa, sprinkle on the remaining mint and serve with extra dijon mustard on the side.