Panko--Homemade

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

My first experience with panko bread crumbs--Japanese style coarse bread crumbs--was on Pine Island, Florida. Brother Dave was planning his shrimp and panko dish and where did we buy the panko? At the fish market, of course.

Back in Northern Michigan, I searched for panko with few successes. Trips downstate to Trader Joe's helped me stock the pantry but then Trader Joe's stopped selling panko.

So now we make our own! It couldn't be easier. When old bread starts to get hard, we put slices of it on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 min. at 350 degrees or until the bread is just beginning to brown--this isn't toast, it is just crunchy bread.

Then using the grating blade for the food processor, the bread is pushed through the tube of the processor and through the blade. That's it! You have panko.  And cheap--this bread would have been tossed but no more; now all old bread becomes panko.

We like the plain, unseasoned panko so nothing is added to the crumbs. To store, put the panko crumbs in a large storage bag and keep in the freezer.

Panko Fried Shrimp

By Dave Washburn

This is a simple recipe a lot like the fried green tomatoes.

1 lb. large shrimp peeled and deveined, tails on- go down to the shrimp house and get them off the boat. (Ha! A joke! You don't have shrimp houses in Iowa or Michigan! Too bad! I do!) Oh well, get them where you can.
1 C corn starch
2 eggs
2 C panko
hot sauce
BBQ rub mix
salt & pepper

In a small bowl toss the shrimp in the corn starch, shake off the excess.
In a bigger bowl beat the eggs with a little water and the hot sauce.
In a BIGGER bowl mix the panko and the BBQ rub with salt and pepper.
Take each shrimp out of the corn starch and dip in the egg wash, and then into the panko, pressing to coat- remove to a wax paper lined baking sheet- repeat until all shrimp are coated.
Heat a large dutch oven (or deep fryer) with oil to 350 degrees.
Fry in batches until golden, turning once. Remove to paper towel lined baking sheet, salting once and turning over. Serve with Uncle Dave's Really Spicy Cocktail Sauce.

Uncle Dave's Really Spicy Cocktail Sauce:
Quarter cup good ketchup
Quarter cup good BBQ sauce (we're using Billy Bones)
HUGE tablespoon really good horseradish (don't use that creamy stuff, it really sucks)
shot Worcestershire
salt and pepper to taste
This recipe can be doubled, tripled, quadrupled, whatever-
Remember- horseradish is your friend.

Dave's Fried Green Tomatoes

By Dave Washburn

Fried Green Tomatoes

Shift on the recipe we grew up on- mom always liked the slightly burnt taste of the flour but I have found a crunchy variation without the burnt taste.

3-4 green tomatoes
2 eggs
2 cups panko
hot sauce (your fave)
salt & pepper
1 tsp. each garlic powder, thyme, oregano and cayenne

Slice tomatoes rather thick- beat eggs in medium bowl, add hot sauce to taste, along with a dash of salt and pepper. Put the tomato slices in the bowl turning to coat.

In another bowl add the panko and the spices, along with another shot of salt and pepper. Mix well.

Heat a large skillet with about a quarter inch of oil- hot but not smoking.

Take each slice of tomato out of the egg wash and place in the bowl of panko-turning to coat- pressing the panko into each side with a fork or your hands- place in the skillet. It should sizzle but not hard- frying slow is the key. fry gently until golden, turn over, brown until golden. Remove to a paper towel lined cookie sheet- salt, turn over, salt again. Keep warm in low oven until ready to serve.