Sicilian breadcrumbs emit a transportive aroma that immediately recalls the exquisite Mediterranean island. A generous sprinkling of these crunchy fragrant wonders completes pasta ca'muddica, an anchovy spaghetti emblematic of the island. Yet the breadcrumbs are not always just a final touch to pasta – you can use them in various ways.
I discovered them thanks to my roommate, Sofia who's from Sciacca in the province of Agrigento. Her mother Claudia constantly sends ready-made bags to our apartment in Milan. The breadcrumbs store well so you can use them whenever you want – just a little bit is enough to transform simple ingredients into something that tastes a bit more dynamic. Here's Claudia's recipe.
The recipe
Ingredients: stale bread, garlic, wild fennel, caciocavallo cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Grate and mix the stale bread with chopped parsley, wild fennel, minced garlic, grated caciocavallo cheese, salt, and pepper. There is no need to weigh out the ingredients, either – just measure by eye, depending on personal taste. You can make a massive batch to freeze and use later.
Cooking with Sicilian breadcrumbs
Sicilian breadcrumbs add flavor and texture to countless recipes – use them to bread and fry classic cutlets, vegetables, meatballs, and frittatas. If you don’t want to use them for frying, however, you can also use the breadcrumbs to roast the selected ingredient. You can take a simple grilled chicken breast to new heights by dipping it first in olive oil, followed by Sicilian breadcrumbs. Roulades, zucchini, sliced eggplant, stuffed tomatoes...whether fried in a pan or baked in the oven, the possibilities are endless.
For simple meatballs, beat the eggs, and mix them with the breadcrumbs, adding a little milk if the mixture is too dry. Then form the meatballs and fry them in hot oil.
Be warned, they won't last long – they’re just that good!