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!
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| 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.
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!
~ 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.
~ 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.
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.
~ 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.
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!
