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Crisp coatings help keep delicate foods such
as fish fillets and chicken cutlets moist while they cook. Two elements
are essential: something dry for the coating and something wet to hold
the coating in place. The dry element could be bread or cracker crumbs,
flour, cornmeal, crushed nuts, dried herbs, or dried cheese. The wet
mixture should be some form of fluid protein, such as beaten egg or egg
white, buttermilk, thinned plain yogurt or a creamy salad dressing.
To help breaded foods brown evenly, pat the
food dry before breading to prevent trapped moisture from steaming and
blistering the coating. Before adding a coat of crumbs, roll the food in
flour or cornstarch and then in the wet mixture. You can always add 1
tablespoon of water or milk to the wet mixture to keep breading from
becoming too thick. For a richer, more tender crust, add 1 tablespoon
oil.
The lightest crust could be achieved by
using finely ground fresh bread crumbs and for a crisp and study crust,
use a meal coating such as cornmeal or finely ground cracker crumbs.
Seasonings could be distributed evenly in a breading if added to the wet
mixture. To help breading adhere better to
food, let the coated food sit on a rack for 15 minutes before cooking.
If you need to save time, you can bread
ahead of time. Coat the food well, then cover tightly and refrigerate
for several hours.
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