1. With the back of a heavy knife or meat mallet,pound the chicken to tenderise it and flatten it into a sheet 1.5cm thick. Fry the bacon pieces in a little oil until browned and crisp.
2. For the green pea puree,heat a small pan over medium heat and add butter,garlic and onion. Fry for about 3 minutes,until soft but not brown. Add stock,peas and spinach leaves and bring to a simmer. Transfer to a blender and blend to a smooth puree.
3. Heat the oil to 170C. Place the flour onto a small tray and season well with salt and pepper. Place the eggs and breadcrumbs onto separate trays. Insert a skewer into each piece of chicken and,using it as a hook,dip the chicken into the flour,then the egg,then the breadcrumbs,ensuring that it is coated completely and pressing the breadcrumbs firmly onto the meat. Fry in batches for 5 minutes,turning once or twice. Drain on a wire rack,standing each on its thin end for better drainage.
4. Place each chicken parmy on a serving plate and top with a few generous spoons of the green puree. Scatter with the bacon chips. Then,using a microplane,grate plenty of parmesan over the top. Scatter with a little parsley and serve with a wedge of lemon – chips optional.
Adam's tip:Schnitzels in Australia are a product of the same German migration that seeded our wine industry,but there are some differences. We favour chicken or beef over veal or pork and deep-fry ours in oil rather than shallow-frying in butter.
Also try:Adam Liaw's seafood sandwich with spicy cocktail sauce