Tuesday, July 10, 2007 5:30 PM
What is panko?
Q: What is panko?
A: Panko [pahn-koh] are a coarse, flaky Japanese breadcrumb, and they make an unbelievably crispy-crunchy—and yet light—coating for just about any food you want to fry or bake. If you’ve ever ordered tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet) in a Japanese restaurant, you’ve had panko.
Basic panko breading: Pour 1 cup panko crumbs into a bowl or onto a rimmed plate large enough to fit the pieces of food you’re coating. Pour 1/2 cup flour into a separate bowl. Season flour heavily with salt and pepper (or cayenne), about 1-2 tsp. each. In a separate bowl, whisk 1 egg. Dredge the piece of food through the flour, then dip it into the egg wash, moistening all sides with egg. Dredge the food through the panko crumbs, coating all sides.
Panko makes an excellent coating for salmon filets or as casserole topping, like the one in this Shrimp and Broccoli Gratin. You can substitute panko in just about any recipe that calls for breadcrumbs or cornflakes as a coating. These panko-coated Mac ‘n’ Cheese Croquettes are so wrong, they’re right.
And if you’re the kind of eater who would drive an hour out of your way for a good onion ring (like those “loafs” at dive-y bbq joints), these crispy “oven-fried” onion rings will make you cry twice—once while you’re chopping, once while you’re chewing.
Oven-“Fried” Onion Rings
2 large yellow or white onions
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 eggs, whites separated (reserve the yolks for another use)
2 tbsp. milk
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
3/4 c. panko
2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. seasoned salt
2 quart-size zip-top bags
2 baking sheet pans
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush a thin coat of vegetable oil on the baking sheets and set aside.
Slice onions 1/4 to 1/2-inch think and separate the rings.
Place flour and panko crumbs in two separate zip-top bags. Pour salt and cayenne into the bag with the panko, zip the bag and shake to blend.
In a shallow bowl, combine egg whites, milk and cornstarch. Place the onion rings into the flour bag and shake. Remove the rings from the bag and dip them into the egg mixture. Remove thhe rings from the egg mixture and shake them in the bag filled with panko crumbs. Place rings on baking sheets and bake for 10-15 minutes; turn and bake until onion rings are crisp.
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