Penguin Buffet's Classic Israeli Schnitzel

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   1.

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   Place one cutlet at a time inside a large plastic bag.

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   With a meat mallet, pound the turkey or chicken slice as thin as possible and season well with salt and pepper.

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   2.

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   Spread the flour on a flat plate.

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   Break the eggs into a pie plate and beat well.

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   Put the bread crumbs on a third plate.

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   3.

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   Pour the oil into a heavy skillet to a depth of 1 inch and heat over a medium flame until almost smoking.

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    4.

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    Dip each turkey or chicken breast in flour, then in egg, and then in bread crumbs.

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    5.

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    Fry the schnitzels for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown.

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    6.

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    Drain the schnitzels on a plate lined with paper towel.

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    Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

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    NOTE: You can also bake the breaded schnitzels in a 350-degree oven for a few minutes ahead of time.

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    Then, just before serving, deep-fry quickly to crisp the outside.

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    This dish, a variation on veal schnitzel from Central Europe, is a classic example of the transformations common in Israeli cooking.

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    Before Israel's swamps were drained in the 1950s to irrigate the desert, there was not enough grassland to pasture cows.

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    Thus the first Central European Jewish settlers adapted one of their native dishes to use turkey meat, more easily raised in desert conditions.

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    Subsequent immigrants have added twists from their own backgrounds, such as Yemeni Jews adding the Middle Eastern spice blend hawayij.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.