Gourmet Live Blog

Photo: Kemp Minifie

Panko, Japanese shard-like breadcrumbs, used to be a specialty store item, but these days I see the crumbs everywhere.  Because of their sliver-like shape and airy texture, they make a light and very crisp coating for fried foods and a crunchy topping for mac and cheese. According to Upper Crust Enterprises, a Los Angeles-based company that manufactures what it claims is authentic panko, the crumbs are created from bread that is cooked by electric current, not baked in traditional ovens. It’s a technique the Japanese developed during World War II. The yeast-risen white bread comes out without a crust, and then is completely air-dried, before it is grated into slivers using special screens.

Although you can’t exactly duplicate traditional panko at home, you can still make a darn good panko-like crumb yourself. By using the blender and coarsely grinding cubes of fresh bread in small batches, about 1/2 cup at a time, you will get much closer to a shard than what the food processor produces. Spread those crumbs out on a sheet pan and dry them slowly in a low oven (225°F) until they are crisp but still pale, about 1/2 hour. I like to use bread that’s got some structure to it, not a commercial sandwich loaf. Sourdoughs and other artisanal breads work well and yield a crumb with good flavor. So why make your own panko if you can buy it so easily? Because I hate to waste bread that’s past it’s prime for sandwiches.