Panko

How to Make Crispy, Crunchy Fried Chicken

Crispy, crunchy, breaded chicken is easy. Simply deep fry it.
But if you are looking for a healthier version, that requires baking it, and sometimes the results are not as crisp or crunchy as desired. I tried several versions, and found that the secret ingredient is Panko Bread crumbs. (My preferred brand is Kikkoman.)

Panko Crumbs adds an excellent and light crunch to everything!
In both versions, I used a buttermilk wash and seasoned flour. I baked the chicken on a cooking rack to allow airflow around the chicken, but the pieces that were given a second coating with panko turned out demonstrably crisper and crunchier.
These pieces had a crisp and satisfying crunch and that contributed to the excellent flavor.

This was very flavorful, but lacked the crunch.
The specific details:
I used chicken legs (thighs and drumstick.) I left the skin on (because sometimes I just want all the flavor possible.) I think this technique would work with skinless chicken, and I will run that test soon.
I seasoned 1 cup whole wheat flour with 
  • 2 tsp onion powder 
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp black pepper 
  • 1 tablespoon rubbed sage. 

My wash was buttermilk.

The flour-only version was dipped in buttermilk and rolled in flour. The panko version was rolled in the seasoned flour first, then dipped in buttermilk and coated in panko.

Bake on a cooking rack in another shallow pan (I used a 10x15in jelly roll pan) at 425F/225C for 15 minutes, then 375/190C for 30-35 minutes or until the internal temp is 165F/74C.
Don’t bake solely based on time. If you remove the chicken at 165F/74C, you will have perfectly cooked chicken that isn’t dry. However, the downside of this is you don’t get the beautiful golden-brown color of deep-fried chicken. (I can live without the color!)
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This recipe was requested from Tosha, one of the listeners of my podcast, Make Your Someday Today. In MYST 53, Tosha left a message on my voicemail system (Speakpipe) which you can find on my home page. If you have a question, please give me a call!

Angel Hair Pasta and Fried Eggs

Angel Hair Pasta and Fried Eggs
Basic Instructions, you can vary as you wish:
  1. Boil pasta.
  2. While pasta boils, saute mashed garlic in olive oil until fragrant. Toss in panko, let the crumbs toast a bit. Remove to a bowl, grate parmesan on top, mix in.
  3. Return the pan to stove, add more olive oil and mashed garlic.
  4. Drain pasta, add to pan with olive oil and garlic. Toss to coat.
  5. While that continues to cook, place second skillet over medium heat, and spray with cooking spray. Carefully crack 1-2 eggs into it. Cover. Let cook over medium until the whites get firm. (You can add 1 tablepoon water to help steam.)
  6. Place pasta on dish, toss with panko, and gently slide eggs on top.

Herb-Crusted Cod

Herb-Crusted Cod
Serve 3 (5-6 ounce portions)

1 pound Atlantic cod fillets
1/2 cup panko crumbs
1-2 tablespoons of your herbs of choice
1 egg
1/8 cup skim milk
1 tablespoons vegetable oil

  1. Thaw (if frozen) fillets. Blot with paper towel to dry surface.
  2. Mix panko and herbs in a shallow dish.
  3. Mix egg and milk in a shallow bowl.
  4. Pre-heat non-stick skillet (11-12″ works best)
  5. Dip fish fillets in egg wash.
  6. Lay each in herb-crumb mixture, flipping to coat both sides.
  7. Add oil to skillet. Gently lay fillets in skillet. 
  8. Pan fry until the edges begin to brown (3-4 minutes). 
  9. Carefully flip and finish cooking.
Nutritional data:
Calories:        235
Fat:               6.8g
Sat fat:          0.7g
Chol:      101.8mg
Sodium:  170.6mg
Carbs:           6.4g
Fiber:            0.3g
Protein:       34.6g
I used Penzey’s Greek Seasoning. You could also use dill, parsley, basil, oregano, or anything that you prefer.

In the picture above the cod was served with my Strawberry-Spinach Salad and Zucchini Pancakes.

Baked Cod and Wilted Spinach with Parmesan Panko Crumbs

Baked Cod and Wilted Spinach with Parmesan Panko Crumbs
Serves 2

12 ounces cod fillets
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, mashed and minced
6 cups (9 ounces by weight) baby spinach, torn
1 tablespoon panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoon parmesan cheese

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Place fish in a shallow oven-safe dish. Sprinkle with your preferred seasonings (I used Penzey’s Sunny Paris and Dill Weed.)
  3. Bake for 25-30 minutes or when the fish begins to flake apart. (Start checking for that at 20 minutes.)
  4. While the fish is baking, preheat a small non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
  5. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil.
  6. When the oil is hot, add the panko crumbs. Toss frequently to prevent burning.
  7. Then the crumbs begin to get toast colored, add the parmesan cheese.  Toss to combine and remove from the heat.
  8. In the last 5 minutes of the fish cooking, heat a large (10-11 inch) non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining teaspoon of olive oil.
  9. When the oil is hot, add the garlic. Let it cook for a minute, and then add the spinach. (If you use a smaller skillet, you will need to do half at a time.
  10. Toss the spinach frequently. You want the spinach to wilt, not fry. This will start slowly at first, but when the leaves start collapsing it will finish quickly.
  11. Remove the spinach from the heat before all the leaves are wilted. Ideally, only about half the leaves will be soft and wilted when you remove the skillet from the burner. (They will continue to wilt as they sit in the pan.)
  12. Add half the spinach to each plate. Top with half the panko-parmesan crumbs. Place half the cod on the plate and serve immediately (this is a dish that will not wait for people to come to the table.)

Nutritional data (for 6 ounces of cod + one portion of spinach):
Calories:       250 (179 cod + 71 spinach)
Fat:             7.3g (2 + 5.3)
Sat fat:        1.3g (0.4 + 0.9)
Chol:    124.7mg (124 + 0.7)
Sodium:   263mg (177 + 90)
Carbs:         4.5g (0 + 4.5)
Fiber:             2g (0 + 2)
Protein:     54.9g (51.8 + 3.1)

Variations:
You can also use haddock, pollack or just about any white fleshed fish
Add crushed red pepper to the spinach
Replace the parmesan cheese with sesame seeds (and replace the olive oil with sesame oil)