The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Welcome back Dish of the Week readers; we have missed you. June has been rough, to say the least, with many shifts in the country’s financial situation and whatnot. Nevertheless, after the great news that the whole country is taking the entire work week off plus two weekends, everyone can’t wait to put their phones off and dive into vacation mode. Since summer has officially begun, everyone will either go to the Northcoast or explore more options like the Red Sea, Alexandria, ElGouna, or stay put and enjoy the emptiness of the capital. So regardless of anyone’s plans, the point of the matter is that we are all more than ready for this 9-day holiday. 

Without a doubt, Chicken Panne is everyone’s go-to dish when they’re in the holiday mood; either for the one who is doing the cooking or the one eating. Chicken Panne and pasta have long been an unspoken constant in our summer vacations. It’s one of the easiest dishes you can whip up when you just returned from a long day of beach, sun, and sand. The nostalgic flavours of the crunchy fried chicken breasts are undeniable; they’re filling and simply delicious – especially when paired with good old red sauce spaghetti. The great thing about this simple dish is that it holds a special place in all social levels of us Egyptians – it’s inexpensive, easy to make, and convenient. 

Our beloved fried chicken dish is our interpretation of the popularised German Schnitzel. As far as the origins of schnitzel go, many sources dating back in time mention the process of tenderising pieces of meat and then dredging in breading and frying. This cooking method dated back to the 1st century BC and was mainly done in Europe. When you fast forward to the Middle Ages, Schnitzel had managed to become extremely popular by then. Not only was it well-loved in Germanic lands, but also all around Europe. However, traditional Egyptian Chicken Panne does have some twists and unique tweaks. Even though there are various ways to make it, the classic recipe has yoghurt, lemon juice, allspice, paprika, onions, and herbs.   

The best thing about this dish is its simplicity; it’s fried chicken breasts, but its simplicity is the key to its deliciousness. Sometimes, we humans tend to overcomplicate things and think it is the pinnacle of creativity and intelligence. Even though most of the time, it’s all about taking things lightly, relaxing, and enjoying the moment. Chicken Panne is a beautiful dish because it helps us relax during the holidays; we do not need to buy a million ingredients or cook up time-consuming recipes like Molokheya, Bamya, Mahshi, or Golash. Chicken Panne is the exact representation of chillaxing and appreciating the beauty of simple ingredients that taste absolutely heavenly. So there you go, a life lesson that smells, tastes, and feels like summer!