Page 30 - Sphere No.30 (Dec 2011)

28 Sphere 30
Wiener Schnitzel
an Austrian tradition
Although there are different versions in numerous
cultures around the world, there is no Schnitzel more
authentic than a traditional Austrian Wiener Schnitzel. It
is arguably the most famous and most representative dish
of Austrian culture, according to Christine Weilhartner,
an assistant in the Corporate Communications division of
3 Austria.
“Wiener Schnitzel was my favourite dish when I
was a little girl,” said Ms Weilhartner. “Every time I eat
a Schnitzel it reminds me of my childhood and of the
kitchen of my grandmother, who made Wiener Schnitzel
almost every Sunday for our whole family.”
Largely because of such happy memories, Ms
Weilhartner enjoys cooking whenever she can find the
time, especially with friends. “I’m so busy during the
week that I typically only cook on the weekends,” she
explained. “It’s always interesting to cook with someone
else, because you can learn a lot about a person simply by
cooking with them.”
When it comes to sharing recipes and ideas with her
culinary companions, Ms Weilhartner is a firm believer
in showing rather than telling. “I don’t like to talk
about cooking very much – I prefer doing it rather than
discussing it.”
“Soup and sambo” combinations are popular among
employees of 3 Ireland, where a bowl of hearty soup with
a sandwich (called a “sambo” in Ireland) can cost between
seven and 12 euro. Their colleagues at 3 Sweden can expect
to pay about SEK100 (USD15.60) for lunchtime specials such
as hamburgers, tacos and lasagne at their popular eateries.
Employees at 3 UK have an equally varied choice of cuisines
at nearby eateries, including “the local pub”. Among their
favourite dishes are jacket potatoes with tuna and salad and
bacon, and Brie and cranberry baguettes.
Cutting across countries and cultures, some restaurants are
frequented by Hutchison employees because of their eclectic
mix. For example, a Greek cafeteria near Hutchison Port
Holdings’ Freeport Container Port, on Grand Bahama Island,
in the Bahamas offers Bahamian favourites, such as chicken
souse and cracked conch, alongside Greek gyro meat dishes.
International fast food chains are popular among
Hutchison employees everywhere. Many outlets offer
localised meals, such as “chick and chips” in Pakistan. “These
restaurants are very convenient because they are fast and
inexpensive,” explained Joelle Chan, Assistant Manager of
Corporate Communications of the A S Watson Group in
Hong Kong. “We like being able to grab a quick lunch and still
have some ‘quiet’ time before we have to go back to work.”
Eating in
In Italy, home of pizza and pasta, employees tend not to
leave their workplace for lunch. “Eating at our staff canteen
or bringing a packed lunch is much, much more common,”
explained James McCormick, Commercial Manager at Taranto
Container Terminals.
A glimpse of the contents of an employee’s home-prepared
lunchbox anywhere in Hutchison’s world reveals a strong
preference for traditional local dishes.
In 3 Sweden’s lunchrooms, Swedish meatballs are favourite
lunchbox items; in Mainland China, combinations of typical
Chinese stir-fried meat, vegetables, rice and noodles are
brought to work by Hutchison Whampoa Property Group
employees; in India, Hutchison Global Services employees
favour traditional Indian breads such as naan or roti alongside
lentil dishes, such as daal, and spicy vegetable curries; at PPC
in Balboa, home-cooked leftovers from the day before include
beans and plantains.
It all suggests that “eating local” is one of the secrets of
success for a Group that “acts global”.
Wiener Schnitzel
By Christine Weilhartner
Ingredients
4 cutlets (120g each) veal, turkey or pork
2 cups (240g) flour
2 eggs, whisked
2 cups (200g) breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
Oil or lard for frying
Directions
Pound the cutlets until the meat is about a quarter of an inch
(0.6 cm) thick and then lightly season them lightly with salt
and pepper.
Prepare three shallow bowls by filling one with flour, one with the
whisked eggs and one with breadcrumbs.
Dip both sides of the cutlets into the flour first, then in the
whisked egg and then in the breadcrumbs. Be careful to ensure
that the entire cutlet is completely covered with breadcrumbs.
Place the cutlets in a hot frying pan with enough oil in it that
the Schnitzels will float while they cook. Cook each side of the
Schnitzel for no more than four minutes.
Serve hot with fresh lemon, a mixed salad and some potatoes.
4 35mins 20mins