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