In the Pantry: Breadcrumbs

When chefs or caterers or food folks get the standard Q and A treatment in the newspaper or magazines, they're always asked what they always keep on hand in their pantry or refrigerator. Now, nobody has ever bothered to ask me the same question, but I am going to give you the answer nonetheless. Over the course of this blog, I will periodically let you know about a staple ingredient that I can always go to because I always have it in stock. They're simple things to purchase (or make) and great to have when you think you don't have anything to eat. I'll also give you a couple of ideas of how you might use these pantry basics in your own kitchen.

The first is breadcrumbs. I always have a canister of store-bought breadcrumbs in the cabinet. They keep well and are a fairly neutral flavor palette that you can use to add texture and crunch to a variety of dishes. You've already seen them on the blog as ingredients in vegetable and meat dishes. I also use breadcrumbs a lot with fish. I'll sear tilapia or another flaky fish in a little olive oil in a saute pan for about two minutes on each side. In the meantime, I mix a cup of breadcrumbs with a little olive oil to bind together. I also add herbs (dried or fresh--whatever's on hand) and sometimes a little grated Parmesan. Once I remove the fish from the heat (I just leave it in the ovenproof skillet), I sprinkle a generous portion of the breadcrumb mixture on each fillet and put the whole thing in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Until the fish is cooked through and the breadcrumbs are toasty brown. Yum.

Of course, you can make your own breadcrumbs too. Take leftover baguette, rolls or even white bread and give a whir in your food processor. (It's best to use slightly stale dry bread for this.) Dump into a Ziploc bag and put in your freezer for use whenever you need them.

Last night, I used breadcrumbs to crust some great lamb rib chops. Here's the recipe. Adapted from Andrea Immer.

Mustard-Crusted Lamb Chops
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
3 T olive oil, plus more for browning chops
3 T chopped fresh rosemary
Ground black pepper
Kosher salt
2 or 3 (2 each was plenty for us, and lamb chops ain't cheap) baby lamb chops per person (If they are not already, ask the person at your meat counter to "French" them--remove the fat and meat from the tips of the rib bones.)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, mustard, olive oil, rosemary, a pinch of salt and several grinds of pepper. Mix together until combined and moistened.

Heat a skillet on medium high and add several tablespoons olive oil. Salt and pepper the lamb chops on all sides and sear in olive oil until brown, 2-3 minutes per side.

Remove the chops to a baking dish (or replace in skillet if it's ovenproof) and spoon a tablespoonful of the breadcrumb mixture on each chop. Press in gently to adhere. Place into oven and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes for medium-rare. Run under the broiler for two minutes at end to brown bread crumbslittle more .

Wine Pairing:
I am lucky enough to be a member of Andrea Immer's A-List Wine Club. Once a month, she ships 3 or 4 bottles of wine from all over the world. Included are extensive tasting notes and recipes to pair with the wines. To go with the lamb chop recipe, she sent a bottle of French red. Chateau Puy Arnaud Maureze Cotes de Castillon Bordeaux, 2001. It was great. Brambly blackberry, fig, chocolate and smoke. All perfect for the meaty earthy toastiness of the lamb. It's a steal at $19 or less, but might be difficult to find. A good inexpensive substitute is Rosemount Shiraz. Widely available, it too stands up to the lamb with plenty of red fruit, spice and a little bit of oak. Try it with boldly-flavored pork or even a grilled steak. It's a good value wine to have on your house list.