» Meet 
Is there anything more satisfying than biting into something supercrispy? A good crust -- especially when it is infused with spice -- is a prelude of good tastes to come. We don't in my opinion pay enough attention to crusts, even though they provide textural interest, taste, and variation.
Crusts are sometimes called "breadings," and I occasionally use some stale bread for a crust, but there are so many interesting ways to create crusts without bread that it seems wrong to refer to crusts as breading.
Crusts offer that very important feature of CRUNCH. They are the first thing that gets bitten into, and they let the eater know that something delicious is about to arrive. Many people use plain breadcrumbs or flour as crusts, but when crusts are combined with herbs and spices, the crust serves as more than just a crunch-deliverer: it adds another layer of taste and complexity that can complement whatever is being encrusted and send it even further along the path of gastronomic nirvana.
One of my favorite crusts involves rice flakes, often called poha thik in Indian markets, where they can be purchased. They are flattened and lightly toasted grains of rice that, when combined in a small electric coffee grinder with salt, peppercorns, and almost any other spice you can think of, make some of the crispiest crusts imaginable. You can get a huge bag of them at Indian markets for a buck or two, and they'll last forever sealed tightly in a jar.
Lentils are another favorite of mine, especially pink lentils (which are often more orange in color than pink, despite their name). Many people express surprise when they learn that hard, uncooked lentils can be ground up and used as a breading for fish, tofu, or chicken. Lentil crusts are especially good when they involve ground coriander seeds and green peppercorns.
Other great crust makers include couscous, cornmeal, crushed nuts (especially good on fish), and even cream of wheat! Almost any carbohydrate that you can grind up in a spice grinder to produce a fine powder will work as a crust.
Crust away, breakaway cooks! What else do you use for a crust?
(photo by Annabelle Breakey)
11 Comments
LEAVE YOUR COMMENT
You must sign in to leave a comment