The Republic of Austria is a highly mountainous country in Central Europe. Only 32% of the country is below 500 metres. The Eastern Alps constitute 62% of the total area. At 3,797 m, Großglockner is the highest mountain in Austria. The majority of the population speak local Bavarian dialects of German as their native language.

We visited the beautiful capital city of Vienna a few years ago to visit my friend Julia. It is a stunning place that has so much to offer the visitor. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. Our highlights include the impressive Schönbrunn Palace, Stephansplatz square, Hofburg Palace, Ringstraße, coffee shops and the Vienna food festival. The UN-Habitat classified Vienna as being the most prosperous city in the world in 2012/2013. It attracts over 3.7 million tourists a year.

Famous Austrians include Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Franz Schubert, Johann Strauss, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Adolf Hitler and Sigmund Freud. Viennese psychiatrist Sigmund Freud is best known as the founding father of psychoanalysis, which has heavily influenced modern psychology as well as other domains of science and culture. Salzburg born Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart started composing at the age of five and performed before European royalty. He composed more than 600 works.

Austrian cuisine is most often associated with Viennese cuisine, but there are significant regional variations. Popular dishes include Schweinsbraten (roast pork), Tafelspitz (boiled veal stew), Käsespätzle (Austrian macaroni cheese), Rindsuppe (beef soup), Marillenknödel (apricot filled dumplings), Linzer Torte (Austrian lattice cake) and Apfelstrudel (apple strudel). I opted to make probably the most famous Austrian dish – Wiener Schnitzel (pan fried breaded veal cutlet) which I served with roasted rosemary potatoes and spinach. It was thoroughly delicious.

Rating: 9/10

Serves: 2
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 6 – 8 minutes

2 veal sirloin steaks
1 egg
50g plain flour
50g panko breadcrumbs
Salt & pepper
20g butter
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Lay out the sirloin remove any skin and beat until thin. Season on both sides with salt and pepper
Place flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs on separate flat plates
Coat each schnitzel firstly on both sides in flour, then draw through the beaten eggs, ensuring they are fully covered
Lastly, coat in the breadcrumbs and carefully press down the crumbs using the reverse side of the fork (this causes the crumb coating to “fluff up” better during cooking)
In a large pan, heat the butter and oil
When the pan is hot place the schnitzel in the pan
Depending on the thickness of the meat, fry for between 2 – 4 minutes until golden brown
Carefully flip over using a spatula (do not pierce the coating) and fry on the other side until similarly golden brown
Remove the crispy schnitzel and place on kitchen paper to dry off
Serve with your choice of potatoes and vegetables or salad