DCS Lab: Schnitzel Take 2

In this episode of The Dave Chang Show, Dave Chang reflects on a failed recipe lab from his previous attempt at making a seeded schnitzel inspired by his guest Mina Kimes' favorite dish at Highland Park's Highly Vlakeli. After a week on the road and deep reflection, he acknowledges the flaws in his original approach—particularly the moisture from nuts and lack of proper drying—which ruined the crispiness essential to a good schnitzel. He pivots to create a gluten-free, plant-based version using quinoa flour and raw red lentils as a breadcrumb substitute, while incorporating cabbage from a previous recipe with Eric Nam. The episode unfolds as a live cooking experiment, where Dave tests techniques like pressure-cooking lemon peels to debitter them, makes a bulldog sauce with Worcestershire and agave, and explores the science of achieving crisp textures. He also shares personal kitchen wisdom, including knife sharpening, preserving food scraps, and the importance of mise en place. The episode concludes with a successful, crispy gluten-free schnitzel that honors Mina’s favorite dish while embracing innovation and imperfection as part of the creative process.