Often I like to confront you with recipes where we need to use panko. But, what is it and where to get it. That’s why I start this post with „panko making“ and a few recipe ideas.

Panko Bread Crumbs.

Panko ( (pahn-koh, with emphasis on the first syllable) is the Japanese word for “bread crumbs”. They are the Japanese version of bread crumbs, and they tend to be lighter, crispier, and crunchier than Western bread crumbs. They are excellent for breadings, and make an excellent filler in things like crab cakes. Many Asian specialty stores carry panko, and it is also available in some conventional grocery stores, especially those in urban areas.

  Panko crusted chicken.

Several things set panko aside from regular bread crumbs. The first thing is the coarse grind, which creates bread crumbs which are more like flakes than crumbs. The flakes have a large surface area, which absorbs seasoning well. They tend to stay crispy longer than regular bread crumbs, and they also absorb less grease.

  Panko crusted sweet potato.

There are two forms: white panko is made from crustless bread, while tan panko is made with the entire loaf. Both types are usually sold plain, and they can in fact be rather bland. However, the crumbs absorb flavor readily, making them an extremely versatile ingredient. Some companies also make seasoned versions with popular Asian spices, or with honey or chilli flakes.

  Panko crusted shrimps.

But – it is so easy and cheap to make your own panko.

Ingredients.

One needs just a loaf of white bread.

How to do.

Remove the crust from the entire loaf and discard. Or … see tips.
Preheat the oven to 150°C.
Cut the loaf into chunks and blitz in the food processor.

Spread the crumbs over a baking sheet (I divided the crumbs into 2 batches) and dry in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes. Be careful not to brown or toast the crumbs. You just want them dehydrated.

Cool completely and store in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. That’s it.

Tips.

We don’t like to through away, especially no bread. That’s why we can use the removed bread crust for a lovely snack. Just brush it with olive oil, crushed garlic, parsley and salt and toast in the oven till just crispy. Or sprinkle with some chilli flakes or rosemary or any other herbs you like, its cheaper then the supermarket stuff and tastes much better. Another idea is to leave the cuts bare and use them in any kind of dip. Kids will like to make their own and dip into peanut butter, chocolate or jams. You will love it.

  Fish and chips with tartar sauce.

Panko Crusted Fish and Chips with Tartar Sauce.

How about fish and chips that are healthy for you and not laden with all those unwanted calories? Just using my secret ingredient, panko breadcrumbs. So say goodbye to store bought processed frozen food, and begin enjoying your own scrumptious ‚fish and chips‘.

  Dredging the fish pieces in flour.

Panko Crusted Fish.

1 pound fresh cod
1 cup flour
2 eggs ( add 1 egg if needed )
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs (more if needed)
salt and pepper to season

  Dipping the fish pieces in beaten egg.

How to do.

Cut the fish into serving portions (about 3 inch pieces) and pat dry with a paper towel. Set aside. In 3 separate bowls put your flour in one, in a second bowl break the eggs and beat them slightly, and put the panko breadcrumbs in a third bowl. Start by dredging the fish piece in the flour. Dip the piece in the beaten egg and remove with a fork to transfer into the panko breadcrumbs.

  Coating the fish pieces in panko.

Place on a cookie sheet or pizza tray lined with parchment paper. Drizzle the fish pieces with olive oil and bake in a 425 degree F oven for about 15 minutes, until golden brown. Turn the fish pieces and continue baking an additional 10 minutes at 375 degrees F. For thinner pieces of fish allow less cooking time.

  Delicious fresh fish in crusty panko.

Sweet Potato and Gold potato Chips.

4 Gold potatoes
2 sweet potatoes
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
3 garlic cloves (not peeled)
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

  Mixed potato chips.

Peel and cut the potatoes into 1/2 inch sticks and place in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Set aside to rest for 10 to 15 minutes, and then strain the excess water from the potatoes. Toss in the thyme, garlic, olive oil and season with pepper. Place in a roasting pan lined with parchment paper and bake at 425 degrees F. Check the potatoes during baking and turn as needed to prevent burning. Bake for about 35 minutes. They can be cooked at the same time as the fish and at 375 degrees F.

  Fresh made tartar sauce, a treat.

Tartar Sauce.

Simply use between a 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of good mayonnaise (depending on desired portion). In a small bowl stir into the mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of your favorite finely chopped pickles and squeeze in some lemon juice. I also vary the sauce recipe, by omitting the pickles and substituting them with chopped dill, chopped capers and a dash of lemon juice. Let your taste buds be your guide. Serve with fish.

  All together with a German red cabbage/apple salad.

Tips.

Make an extra batch and freeze it for later use. Before we get started just a little reminder, when buying fish always choose fish with a firm flesh, clear eyes  and make sure it is odorless. Fish should never smell fishy.

Panko Bourbon Chicken.

Here is a delightful Sweet ’n Spicy Oriental dish in a rich sauce. This is an recipe that is similar to Orange Chicken that is lightly breaded with a rich thick sauce.

Panko Bourbon Chicken with fried rice or quinoa.

Ingredients.

1 large boneless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup panko
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Sauce.
1/2 cup water
1 clove fresh garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes, or more to your taste
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/3 cup dark soy sauce
1 shot glass of bourbon, 2cl
2 tablespoons Corn starch; or more for desired thickness

   Browning the chicken pieces.

How to do, chicken.

Place flour and Panko in medium size bowl large enough to hold chicken, Panko and flour. Add pieces of chicken and using two forks flip slowly until all pieces are dredged in a light coating of flour and Panko Bread Crumbs. Let rest while you prepare the skillet and heat the oil to a hot temperature.

In a large non-stick skillet, add vegetable oil. Allow oil to come to a medium high temperature that is hot enough to brown the chicken pieces.   Meanwhile, heat oven to 300F (150C) degrees so that you can place the chicken in the oven to continue cooking while you later prepare the sauce.

  Preparing the bourbon sauce.

Let the chicken pieces cook 3-5 minutes per side or until the first side is lightly browned. Turn over and brown second side another 3-5 minutes. As pieces brown, remove from oil and place in a non-stick baking dish.  Place baking dish in oven while sauce is prepared and until it has simmered at least 10 minutes.

How to do, sauce.

Using a paper towel, remove excess oil from the skillet. Mix together all sauce ingredients except corn starch in the skillet and bring to a boil. Turn down and simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Add corn starch a little at a time until the sauce begins to thicken.

Make sure sauce has thickened before adding the first chicken. Add chicken pieces to sauce and stir gently to coat. Continue cooking for an additional 10 minutes at a slow simmer. Add more corn starch if necessary to ensure sauce coats chicken and is of a gravy like nature.

  Bring the chicken and sauce together.

Panko Mozzarella Sticks.

If you are a cheese fan and enjoy a good crunch, you’ll really appreciate these Panko Mozzarella Sticks. They are absolutely the perfect finger food. These cheesy snacks will be snatched up in a wink if you serve them up for Game Day… or any day, really.

Gooey warm Mozzarella is encased by a beautifully crisp exterior – thanks to Panko breadcrumbs, in lieu of traditional bread crumbs. Panko is definitely in. Thankfully, a bag of Panko can easily be found in Asian aisles of most large grocery stores these days.

                                    Something for lazy people, but still better then normal bread crumbs.

If you’ve never worked with Panko before, it’s only fair to warn you that you just might become addicted to the, stuff. It is extremely versatile. Panko can be used to coat anything from these cheese sticks to seafood to chicken. Just use them in place of your standard bread crumbs, and be prepared for an extraordinary crunch that surpasses the old stand by.

   A feast and ready to dig in.

Ingredients.

16 sticks of mozzarella string cheese or roll some yourself
1/2 cup flour
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup whole milk
2 cups panko
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp fresh black pepper
1 TB dried oregano flakes
oil for frying (peanut oil is great for frying)
Marinara sauce, or one you like, for dipping

  Panko mixed with herbs and chilli.

How to do.

Place flour in a small dish. In another bowl, mix together the eggs and milk. In a third bowl, combine panko  with garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and oregano. Cut mozzarella sticks into halves.

Roll a piece of mozzarella in flour, dip into egg mixture, and roll well in panko mixture. Press crumbs in place so mozzarella stick is fully coated. Continue until all pieces are well coated. Place coated mozzarella sticks on a wax-lined baking sheet and put in freezer for at least 30 minutes. (The flash-freezing is important in keeping cheese from falling apart in hot oil.)

  We like a Mexican hot sauce with it.

Pour oil to fill a third way up to halfway up in a heavy sauce pan. Using a thermometer, keep oil steady at 365F (185C). Remove frozen mozzarella sticks and fry a few pieces (don’t crowd) at a time, keeping oil temp at 365F (185C) throughout frying process (you’ll have to play with turning heat up or down as needed.) Fry about 25-30 seconds, turning sticks until they are an even golden brown, and drain on paper towels. Try not to let cheese leak, but a few tiny bubbles are fine. Continue until entire batch is made. Serve with your favorite marinara sauce and do eat them while hot!

  You’ll see, you can’t stop eating.

Crunchy French Toast with Fresh Berry Sauce.

Here, I have used thick slices of white bread, but I also love it with any other slices of French or Italian bread. I serve this as often  as I can, at dinners served with maple syrup, or for something a little fancier, a fresh berry sauce that requires no cooking, or our homemade marmalade.

Ingredients.

4 pieces thick, sliced sturdy bread (Texas toast, French or Italian work well)
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups panko
4-6 tablespoons butter

How to do.

Whisk the eggs, butter, milk and vanilla together in a pie plate.

Place the bread in the egg mixture and gently flip over until all the egg has been absorbed.Gently coat the bread in the panko crumbs to coat well. Melt the butter in a large non-stick pan and fry the slices over medium heat until the nicely browned on both sides.

Easy Fresh Berry Sauce.

2 cups fresh red raspberries
2 cups fresh blackberries
½ cup sugar (more or less depending on tartness of your berries)

Place half of the berries in a shallow bowl with the sugar and crush with the tines of a fork until juicy. Add the remaining berries and gently toss with the crushed berries. Let sit for about 15 minutes before serving. Can be made ahead, covered and refrigerated for two days. I hope you will become a fan of panko like me. Till next time.