Following the breadcrumbs

The weather here has taken a sharp turn into autumn, with chilly evenings and crisp, clear, cool days. This change of season calls for different foods, moving away from salads and into more comforting fare. Among other things, that means firing up the deep fryer (aka cast iron pot), which I did today to make falafel. This started the clock ticking on the life of the frying oil, which doesn’t last long once its used, so I began thinking of other items to drop in the hot oil. I was helped by a few articles that popped up in my news feed. The first was a toasted ravioli recipe (Washington Post), a perennial favorite in our household. Coating cheese ravioli with breadcrumbs and throwing into hot oil produces a wonderful snack or appetizer that is both crunchy and gooey.

However, it was another post (from Epicurious) that really piqued my interest. Breadcrumbs provide a great coating that crisps up well, but they are only the tip of the cutlet in terms of things that can add flavor and crunch. As the article suggests, you can use a variety of snack foods as a crumb coating for both deep- and shallow-fried foods. Why stick with ordinary breadcrumbs when you can use Flamin’ Hot Cheetos? Almost any of your favorite chips (crisps) or crackers can stand in for breadcrumbs.

If you’ve ever converted graham crackers into crumb crust, you already know the technique. What’s great about using crushed breakfast cereal, chips, pretzels, or even fried pork rinds as a coating is that you do not have to be precise about making tiny, even crumbs – a few larger pieces add to the charm (and crunch). Just pull out your meat mallet or rolling pin and get started! I will be browsing the Trader Joe’s snack aisle tomorrow in search of new crumb coatings. Here are a few ideas from the EYB Library:

• Cheeto-crusted jalapeño poppers with bacon from Food52 by Molly Yeh
• Potato-chip-crusted cod with shallot-tarragon sauce from Fine Cooking Magazine
• Doritos-coated schnitzel with fried eggs and anchovies from Kavey Eats by Kavey Favelle and Carl Clarke
• Pretzel-crusted fried cheese from Food Network Magazine
• Goldfish chicken tenders from Simply Recipes by Elise Bauer and Nick Evans