There should really not ever be the need to go out and buy breadcrumbs in the supermarket. You can easily make them at home. If the end of a loaf of bread gets stale and you feel like discarding it, think twice. Leave it out to get a bit harder for a couple of days or so. Blitz in a blender or grate coarsely using a box grater. It’s as simple as that.
Breadcrumbs have a rather dull image, most people probably believe they are only good as a coating for deep-frying. A few years ago I learned that you can turn it into a wonderful condiment: poor man’s parmesan. Simply fry the breadcrumbs in a few tablespoons of olive oil and add some herbs, garlic, finely chopped anchovy, chili or lemon zest to jazz it up. Poor man’s parmesan loves to be sprinkled on top of pasta to add some crunch. Or add it to roasted or fried vegetables or a salad.
Obviously the better the crumbs and the better the butter, the more interesting the poor man’s parmesan is going to be. Then again: who would let a good-quality sourdough baguette go stale?! But treat yourself to good butter. After all we all deserve a little reward every now and then to combat foodwaste in our home.
Poor man’s parmesan
- 200 g breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoons of olive oil
- 3 tablespoons of butter
- thyme leaves, chopped parsley, chili, grated lemon zest, garlic (optional)
- flaky sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
Heat the oil with the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs, sea salt and pepper and let the breadcrumbs absorb the oil and butter. Add the herbs, chili, garlic or lemon zest if using and continue frying the crumbs until they have a lovely golden brown colour.
