Quote:
Originally Posted by sakurasky
kaplods, what's been the best compromise between low-cal and yummy that you've tried so far?
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I think the secret to yummy isn't so much in the crumb choice, but in the seasoning of the crumbs, and the meat (I've used chicken, pork, and fish and would like to try turkey).
The original recipe I had was to marinate the chicken for 15 minutes in low fat mayo, dip in seasoned bread crumbs (already seasoned in the can)... the chicken turned out ok, but BLAND.
Experimenting, I found that marinating the chicken longer, especially if there's a little salt in the marinade really improves the flavor and moistness of the meat. That's why I usually marinate at least 8 hours.
The crumbs need to be seasoned too, and the pre-seasoned bread crumbs may not be seasoned enough for your tastebuds. Taste the crumb mix before getting the chicken out of the fridge. It may not have a yummy texture, because it's not a crust yet, but the flavor should be good.
Likewise, before you marinate your chicken (before you've touched the raw chicken) mix up your marinade and taste it. The taste should actually be a bit (not humongously, but noticeably) more strongly seasoned than it would be if you were using it for a salad dressing. Add seasonings you like, and a bit of salt.
For example, I may add some barbecue sauce to the ranch dressing or mayo - maybe even spike it with a little hot pepper.
I think my favorite coating mix is potato flakes. It's easy to measure and calculate calories/exchanges. For example I looked on my instant potato box and saw that 1/4 cup (23 g) has 80 calories which equals one bread/starch exchange).
Some instant potato brands have added salt, and some are dried in granules rather than flakes. Both will work (and because of the salt, another reason why you need to taste before coating the chicken), and you may have a preference of one over the other. I like the flakes because they have a texture similar to panko. If you've ever seen fried shrimp, that have a flakey fried coating, it's probably panko - (though sometimes it's coconut).
I also like wheat germ, but that I usually mix with potato flakes or other crumbs, because it can be a little "too" crunchy.
A light spray of cooking spray helps the crust become crunchy. With potato flakes and almond meal, the crust browns very nicely on it's own (Panko probably would too). But sometimes the texture of cereal and bread crumbs will be a bit soft and dry without a very light spray of oil.
I also found with fish, because it cooks so fast, and because some types of fish release a lot of moisture, you have to start with a crumb that is already fairly crispy on it's own (rice crispies, chex cereal, chips, potato flakes, seasoned crackers crushed, or panko...). Often bread crumbs or saltine crackers end up a bit too dry, or if the fish is very moist, the crust will end up getting gummy.