I’ve just discovered Japanese Panko*! It’s so much better than your average breadcrumb. I’ve been breading chicken breasts, prawns, meatballs, sliced vegetables, and need I say, mushrooms – the kids have loved the lot! The mushrooms have been a bit tricky because of their moisture content, and I tried various methods – soaking in buttermilk, sautéeng with herbs first, but the best I’ve found is to simply dunk cleaned, whole, raw button mushrooms into beaten egg, then into Panko and deep fry until golden. Be sure to serve them immediately because the crisp doesn’t last all that long. (Aioli makes a great dip.) But if you’re not in the mood for crumbing – it is a bit messy! – you could give this gorgeous Roasted Garlic Mushrooms recipe I found a whirl instead. *Available at Asian supermarkets.
Recipe