Crispy breadcrumbs over everything
A good dish isn’t just about loads of flavor, but also texture. Soup is always better with crispy croutons, and a crunchy coating can turn a simple chicken into a royal feast. Our undisputed ‘make-your-dish-crispier’ obsession: breadcrumbs!
Pasta, risotto, grilled vegetables, fish. Almost any dish with a soft texture benefits from crispy fried crumbs.
Ragù with spicy breadcrumbs
It all started with this recipe: pasta with pork ragù and spicy breadcrumbs. The first time I made it, I was cooking at a friend’s place and didn’t feel like making things complicated, so I left out the breadcrumbs. It was already so delicious that I decided to make it again. This time with breadcrumbs—and I had no idea what hit me.
Salty crunch
The crunch makes both the sauce and the pasta more flavorful. The salt in the crumbs brings out all the flavors, making the pork-laden dish taste fresh as well as rich. The crumbs are so delicious that you almost don’t need to add any cheese. Almost. Ever since, I’ve been thinking in terms of breadcrumb possibilities. With every dish, I wonder whether it would taste better with a salty crunch, and the answer is almost always: yes.
Butter
I prefer to make my breadcrumbs with stale bread, which I crumble in the food processor, but you can also buy panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) and fry it. Naturally, I usually fry it in butter, but olive oil works perfectly well too. It’s important to season it well with salt, and then you can take it in any direction. Cayenne pepper, thyme, rosemary, garlic—or keep it simple and add nothing. In an airtight container, it will keep for a week. The best week of your life.
Pasta
In principle, breadcrumbs go with everything, but I usually sprinkle them over pasta. Like this excellent dish of spaghetti with crispy breadcrumbs. In this recipe, a shit load of fresh herbs goes in, making it wonderfully fresh. And above all, don’t forget the ultimate breadcrumb pasta: mac and cheese.
What else?
Risotto is also fantastic topped with my new favorite. For example, make this recipe with leeks and lemon crumbs. Vegetables suddenly become much more delicious too—this broccolini-cheddar gratin, for example, or roasted spring onions. Or sprinkle them over your halibut with lemon and sage.
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