Quick Cheap Easy Way to Improve Almost Any Meal ~ Pangrattato!

Pangrattato (plural Pangrattati) 

Italian ~ breadcrumb

I had lunch at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen at Watergate Bay the other day (with a long time no see good friend which was great) where, on reading the menu, I realised that I’ve been at the pangrattato for many, many years without knowing it! Although pangrattato seems be the normal term on menus I think if I was still cheffing I might say pangrattati as just one sounds a bit meagre!

Good idea! Pin this
for handy reference.

Pangrattato/ti (from grated bread) is/are crispy flavoured breadcrumbs which are a fabulous way of adding deliciousness and texture to all sorts of meals; I find you can’t go wrong with a crunchy sprinkle! It’s also Very Cheap as you can use stale bread and the additions are a great way of using up other leftover bits and pieces.

This simple garnish (to say the least) can be varied in ways too numerous to mention but I’m going to have a go. I think this is another one of those genius recipes that once you know the basics you can go on to make any number of wonderful things.

Different breads can, of course, be used and all sorts of things such as nuts, seeds, herbs, spices etc. can be added to create the perfect pangrattato for your chosen dish. Make the breadcrumbs by grating the bread, chopping it finely or coarsely, or it running through the food processor. The advantage of this last method is you can add other additions such as nuts or herbs to the crumbs and chop them in at the same time. The disadvantage is the faff of setting it up and the subsequent washing up.

Olive oil is the most commonly used oil in pangrattato, flavoured oils are good, nut oils make a nice change and butter works too, especially for sweet pangrattato.

The breadcrumbs should be crisp which can be achieved by either baking or frying them. Either way you need about 2 tablespoons of oil or butter per 100g of crumbs and if you are adding garlic or herbs or spices it is a good idea to gently warm them in the oil over low heat before tossing with the crumbs, thus infusing the oil and making everything even tastier.

Baked Pangrattato

Moisten the crumbs with the oil, flavoured or otherwise and toss with other additions, spread on a baking tray and bake in a preheated oven at 180ºC/350°F/160ºC fan/gas 4 for about 5 minutes. If you are cooking something else a slightly higher or lower temperature is fine, just keep an eye on the crumbs.

Fried Pangrattato

It is far better, in my opinion, to moisten the crumbs with your chosen oil and then fry them in a dry pan rather than heating the oil in the pan and then adding the crumbs.  My way means that the crumbs have time to absorb the oil and so become uniformly crisp rather than the first bit to hit the pan frying hard and the rest having to catch up!

Don’t forget to taste and season your pangrattato before serving.

 Some Ideas for Pangrattato...

~   Just salt and pepper can be good – warm the oil with some coarsely ground black pepper, cook the crumbs then stir in a little crunchy sea salt.

~   Warm chilli flakes in a similar manner, perhaps with a little orange zest too.

~   3 Garlic Suggestions for Pangrattato ...

     1.  Warm finely chopped garlic in the oil or butter before tossing with the crumbs.

     2.  Use the oil from roasted garlic instead of plain oil or butter.
     3.  Black Garlic Pangrattati, (were you expecting this?) stir a little finely chopped black garlic or a teaspoon of black garlic paste into the oil, good dose of black pepper would be good in this.

~   One or two coarsely chopped anchovies and a little garlic – this is an interesting alternative to croutons in Caesar Salad.

~   Bacon or ham or chorizo etc. – coarsely chop and toss with the crumbs in the hot oil, particularly good sprinkled over macaroni cheese type dishes.

~   Pesto Pangrattato – warm a little finely chopped garlic and some coarsely chopped basil in the oil. Add some coarsely chopped pinenuts to the crumbs and as soon as you have cooked them and they are hot and crisp stir in some grated Parmesan.

~   Nutty Pangrattato – actually my first ever Sudden Lunch! post concerned cobnut pangrattato (although I didn’t realise it at the time!) and it was so delicious I remember it to this day. Might make it again in a minute, I’ve got some cobnuts.  

~   Lemon and Parsley – great for fish dishes, warm finely grated lemon zest and some coarsely ground black pepper in the oil and stir in chopped parsley once cooked. Maybe add a few chopped capers and sprinkle over smoked salmon with sour cream!

Sweet Pangrattati

Best to use butter for these and stir in a little sugar too.

~   Hot Cross Bun Crumbs! When making my Hot Cross Bun Ice Cream (our new favourite!) I like it if I have a few cooked crumbs left over; they are great sprinkled on fruit dishes or other ice creams.

~   Stollen Pangrattato, maybe add some crumbled marzipan and/or some chopped almonds – good over peaches, for instance.

~   Brioche Pangrattato – butter, sugar, perhaps some cinnamon or a little vanilla paste.

~   Etc.

As I often say with these genius recipes – “Your turn”!

What to do with your Pangrattato

You can of course sprinkle it willy nilly as the mood takes you but here are a few suggestions ...

~   Add crunch to perfectly cooked fresh veggies eg. asparagus or broccoli or green beans. Anchovy pangrattato is excellent with cauliflower.

~   Egg dishes as in my Toast on Eggs recipe here.
~   Toss with gnocchi – in my opinion gnocchi need all the help they can get!

~   Top risotto.
~   Sprinkle a little on cheese (maybe let it cool a little first if using on a cheeseboard), walnut pangrattato would be good on blue cheese, for instance, or pesto pangrattato with goat cheese.

~   Use instead of more traditional croutons on thick creamy soups.

~   Makes an almost instant gratin topping!

~   Sprinkle on salads.

~   Pangrattato is a perfect addition to creamy dishes such as pasta in an Alfredo Sauce.

Pasta con Pangrattato

This is a great emergency meal if you haven’t got much in!

 

~   Whilst cooking your pasta (any pasta will work) make a pangrattato with whatever you fancy but being a little generous with the oil or butter. It is best for this dish to cook the crumbs in a pan on top of the stove.
~   When the pangrattato is crisp and golden stir in some grated Parmesan (or blue cheese or mature cheddar or nothing) and any other additions you fancy.
~   Set a few of the crumbs aside to garnish.
~   Drain the pasta then toss with the pangrattato in the pan.
~   Sprinkle with the reserved crumbs and serve immediately whilst still crisp.

An alternative to breadcrumbs is tiny weeny croutons (lots more info on Croutonology here).

Sweet Pangrattato Ideas ...

~    Sprinkle over ice cream or top a sundae.

~    Porridge!

~  A quick crunchy topping for cooked fruits.

Jamie Oliver's Fifteeen 

Lunch at Fifteen was good and the dessert, a sort of white chocolate and strawberry cheesecake in a jar, was both large and gorgeous which is one of my favourite combinations!

9 Great Coatings for Fried Foods

We are Up North at the moment and recently ate some of the splendid fish and chips that is rife in the North East,  my real man's piece of haddock was as big as his forearm and it is not a small arm

This got me thinking about various coatings for fried food~ here are nine good ones.

    1.        Seasoned Flour

This is a very light coating which is not suitable for deep frying and is suitable for delicate items. It's just plain flour with a little seasoning. Turn a piece of fish or fish cake or whatever in the flour and it should adhere to quite naturally Shallow fry and it will form a light crust as in these fried green tomatoes. 

 ~   Batters  ~

Pin for later reference!

When applying batter it is a good idea to first give the food a light coating of flour to help it stick.

2.       Flour & Water Batter

This is a light and crispy batter which absorbs little oil.  It is important to cook no further than a  pale ivory colour.  Rest the batter for 30 minutes before using to allow the gluten to relax or will shrink and expose the fish or whatever you have under it.  This makes enough batter to coat 4 x 200g fish for instance.

 

110g self-raising flour
½ teaspoon salt
150 ml water

~   Sift together the flour and salt (plus other seasonings if you wish).
~   Gradually whisk in the water to form a smooth batter.

This is even lighter if made with sparkling water.  Which leads me, quite naturally, to ...

3.      Beer Batter ~ a classic for Fish and Chips

A great tasting light and crispy batter which is a classic for fish 'n' chips.

Replace the water in the above batter with beer, English bitter is usual here but lager style beers work too.

Taking this a step further ...

4.      Yeast Batter

This batter has a pleasant slightly bready taste. 

15ml warm water

1 x 7g sachet easy-blend dried yeast

225g plain flour

½ tsp salt

300ml beer

~   Stir the yeast into the water and set aside somewhere warm for about 10 minutes till all foamy.

~   Stir the salt into the flour and make a well.
~   Put the yeast mixture into the well and then gradually whisk in the beer to make a smooth pancake batter consistency. If too thick add a little water when you run out of beer.
~   Cover and set aside at room temperature till bubbly – about 30 mins.
~   Chill till needed.

5.      Tempura Batter

Very light, good for delicates such as shrimp and vegetables. This batter should be made at the last minute, just before using.

90g plain flour
1 tbsp cornflour
½ tsp salt
200ml sparkling water – as cold as cold can be

~   Sift together the flour, cornflour and salt.
~   Whisk in the water till just combined – a few small lumps are OK!
~   As I said before – use immediately

~   Dip the food to be fried into the batter and then hold aloft to allow excess to drip off.

6.      Cornmeal Batter

This make a pleasant gritty coating with shades of the Deep South so flavour accordingly with Cajun seasoning or, if you can get it, Old Bay Seasoning which is ubiquitous in the States and is especially good with seafood. Failing that a pinch of chilli powder.

80g yellow cornmeal

60g plain flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder
½ tsp salt

1 beaten egg

120ml milk

~   Stir together the dry ingredients.
~   Whisk in the wet ingredients to a smooth batter.

~   Dry Coatings   ~

To add a dry coating follow these guidelines ...

~   In addition to the breadcrumbs or other coating have ready a dish of seasoned flour and a bowl of egg beaten with a spoonful or two of water.

~   Make sure the item to be coated is dry.
~   Coat said item in the flour, dip in the beaten egg and then coat with dry coating.

~   Set aside for a few minutes for the coating to set a bit before frying.

An easy way to apply the dry coating is to have the crumbs or cornmeal in a deep straight sided box. Drop the eggy item into it and shake the box to coat.  Lift it out and continue with the next piece.

   7.      Cornmeal Crust

Mix together equal quantities of yellow cornmeal and plain flour together with seasonings; salt, black pepper and perhaps paprika and cayenne to taste. As this is a recipe from the Deep South buttermilk is traditional instead of egg for dipping.

8.      Bread Crumbs

You could use the vibrantly coloured bought in crumbs or alternatively make your own!  You knew I’d say that.

~   Fresh Breadcrumbs – run leftover bread through the food process or hand grate to crumbs.

~   Dry Breadcrumbs - bake leftover bread at 300°F/150ºC/130ºC fan/gas 2 till completely dry. Cool then process or crush to fine crumbs. 

(Incidentally, see here for a great use for breadcrumbs - Pangrattato.)

9.      Japanese Bread Crumbs (Panko)

If you are familiar with this blog you will know that I am very keen indeed on these and use them in all sorts of unusual ways.  They make a lovely thick crunchy coating for fried food - these are shallow fried slices of avocado.

SERIOUS WARNING – if perchance you don’t have a deep fryer and use a saucepan make sure it is a deep one with straight sides and fill it no more than a third. Some people say half full is OK but I don’t believe them!

Of course crispy coatings are a great way to make all sorts of leftovers delicious!

In Other News ...

~   I’m rather proud that "The Leftovers Handbook" and I have been mentioned in the May/June issue of Marks & Spencer’s Magazine thus ... 

... although I really wish they’d got this blog’s name right, added a link and perhaps a picture of my book.  Still buggers can’t be choosers!

Delicious Ways to Use Panko Crumbs!

A while ago now I got to fancying some panko crumbs.  I used to buy them by the sack load when working in the BVI (I have a feeling they were much cheaper there) and used them mainly to make an uber crunchy version of Fish ‘n’ Chips.   So I went into the lovely shop in St. Austell, Nature Kitchen, where I boldly walked in the front door!

After a pleasant browse I almost bought a small box of panko when the friendly girl behind the counter suggested that instead I had the much larger more authentic and I don’t think much more expensive bag.  So that’s what I did.  If you are looking for the same thing it has this written on it ...

… that should be a help a bit!

Panko crumbs are a great thing to keep in the Storecupboard – they are perfect for perking up leftovers and just generally enhancing things.  I’ve been playing with them a bit.

The first thing I did was an experiment  …

Panko Topped Pancakes

I have always have the last couple of pancakes after cooking everyone else’s, partly because I am a really nice lady and partly because I cook mine in an unhealthily large amount of oil so that the edges go all crispy.  Today, instead I poured the batter into the lightly oiled pan and then sprinkled the uncooked top with panko crumbs.  Once flipped and cooked on both sides this made a gorgeously crunchy pancake and is probably the way I shall cook pancakes for the rest of my life.

Pleased with this result I decided to try …

Panko Crusted French Toast

Not an entirely original idea as Mrs. Beeton did write something about dipping bread in milk and then coating with breadcrumbs and frying it.  I tried doing this for a recent article I wrote for Vegetarian Living magazine and it was not that pleasant until I played with it a bit. 

I've made a lot of French Toast in my time doing brunches and as I make it with a creamy custardy middle am often asked for my recipe.  I haven’t really got a recipe, however, just a method which is …

 

~   Use soft white bread – it is rare that I recommend such a thing – not too fresh.

~   Cut the bread a little thick – maybe 20mm or ¾ of an inch or something like that.

~   Soak the bread in this for 10 minutes or so rather than just dipping it in.

For 2 thick slices of bread I whisked together 1 egg, ½ tsp caster sugar, 3 small drips of vanilla extract, 1 tbsp double cream and about 3-4 tbsp of milk.  Having soaked the bread I coated both sides with panko crumbs and fried in light olive oil till crisp and golden.

In both the above “recipes” the crisp golden crumbs capture the syrup and butter in a most edifying manner and the crunch is divine.

So that was breakfast.

I have also had two sudden lunches recently involving panko crumbs and shallow frying.  The best way to make sure crumbs (panko or otherwise) form a crisp and stable coating is to have ready a plate of seasoned flour, a bowl of beaten egg and a roomy kind of box or bowl of crumbs ready.  Coat whatever you are going to fry in the flour, dip into the egg and then shake about in the crumbs till completely coated.  Monitor the time and temperature carefully whilst cooking so as to ensure that the crumbs don’t get too brown till the inside of the dish, whatever it is, is cooked and hot.  

Crisp Courgette Batons/Sticks/Crudité Things with Tomato & Chilli Dipping Sauce

The sauce for this was bought in tomato and chilli pasta sauce which I always have in my Storecupboard and use for all sorts on non-pasta dishes. I just coated the pieces of courgette as above and fried in a little olive oil paying attention and turning frequently.

Pan Fried Panko Crusted Brie

This really does need a little care with cooking; the brie melts quite quickly so make sure the crumbs are cooked in time!  Just shallow fry in olive oil and turn oh so carefully, I use my hands but you might not be so stupid!

An old menu favourite of mine, I use to sell this with an apple and Calvados sauce but today I had a spoonful of Spicy Red Onion Marmalade made by The Cherry Tree  who, according to their website, sell their excellent products at “local markets, prestigious shows and outdoor events across the country” and indeed I get mine at a weekly market in Padstow.  It is exceptional stuff so get some if you can.

Panko crumbs make a great coating on deep fried foods too.  I haven’t got a deep fryer and don’t fancy all that faff now but here are a couple of photos from my past …

Panko Crusted Fish with Homefries and Lime Tartare Sauce (aka Fish and Chips) 

Here is a picture of this dish relaxing by the pool where I worked in the islands.

Chicken Tenders coated with Panko and Black Sesame Seeds   

.... which I served with two dipping sauces; crunchy peanut & coconut and sweet chilli & lime.

I have also used panko crumbs mixed with grated cheese and sprinkled on gratins and pasta bakes and mixed with shredded coconut to coat spicy fish cakes.

Leftover Panko Crumbs?

If have any unused crumbs left I sauté them up in a dry frying pan, season with a little crunchy sea salt and sprinkle them on salads etc.  You didn’t think I’d waste them, did you?

I am so keen on using up leftovers I even wrote a book about it!

Creative Ways to Use Up Leftovers

This is about getting the utmost pleasure out of every single scrap of food available. The waste it tackles is not that of money or of resources but of good eating opportunities. As a bonus this will, of course, save money and may even help the planet.

Read more here.

Toast on Eggs!

~  Sudden Lunch Menu  ~

Toast on Eggs

Charred Asparagus

Glass of my Secret Red Wine

I love preparing eggs this way; it makes such a change from eggs on toast!  Seriously it is a different way of getting crunch into my meals (something I insist on) when I only have untoastworthy scraps of bread. 

I also love asparagus and usually prefer to roast rather than steam it for a more intense flavour.  The other day, however, I saw Jamie Oliver char some in a ridge pan and thought if it’s good enough for him its good enough for me.  It was a delicious combination - I knew it would be.  

Years ago, when my sister and I had a restaurant, The House on the Strand, at Trebarwith in Cornwall, we used to buy a lot of asparagus in June under the pretense that we were going to sell it but instead we usually ate the lot ourselves, dipped into soft boiled eggs.  We’ve always been bad. 

This is how my lunch looked just after I’d made it …

… and this is how it looked just after I started eating it, you’ll see that at this stage that I used up the leftover crusts too.

This doesn’t really warrant a recipe but here goes …

Toast on Eggs ~ per person

15-20ml olive oil (or bacon fat if you are running low on cholesterol) plus a little extra

a handful of soft breadcrumbs – approx 1 standard slice of bread, crumbled

salt and pepper and any other seasoning you fancy 

2 eggs

~   Drizzle the olive oil over the breadcrumbs and stir to moisten.

~   Season to taste.

~   Dry fry the crumbs in a hot pan (i.e. no need for any more oil) stirring them about till they are crisp and golden.

~   Set aside, wipe out the pan and use it to fry a couple of eggs in a little oil.  

~   Sprinkle over the crumbs and serve.

I cooked the asparagus in a dry ridge pan for a few minutes per side till starting to go brown in places, then added a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of Cornish sea salt and tossed it around a bit.  I think Jamie Oliver added lemon juice but I didn’t fancy it with the eggs. (Actually I think I'll go back to roasting!)

Whilst I was serving the asparagus I dropped a piece on the floor and this, grumpy old woman that I am, made me think “tsk – young people today”. When I was younger we used to have a 5 Second Rule which meant that if a bit of food was only on the floor for 5 seconds you could still use it.  These days it is called the 6 Second Rule – lazy or what?

Pangrattato!

Incidentally these crunchy cooked breadcrumbs are known as pangrattato and are a great way of improving almost any meal.  

See here for more on Pangrattato

and

See here for 7(+) more Interesting Ideas for Leftover Bread