I searched for a long time for breadcrumb equivalent. Although it took a while to get there, mastering the culinary conversion of breadcrumb was my first successful stop on the gluten free cooking highway.   I spent a lot of money on various breadcrumb mixtures peddled in the gluten free section of natural food stores and supermarkets.  Many of these store bought mixtures are incredibly expensive and mostly have flavor not worthy of the high cost.  This is one of my versions of ‘breadcrumb’.  Coatings were the first stop for me in my quest to learn the art of converting favorite gluten rich recipes.  This mixture calls for Italian Grated cheese – which can be an option – but it use impart a delicious flavor, I prefer Locatelli which is a sheep’s milk cheese, but you can use any hard grating cheese which you find most appealing.  Crushed Red Pepper flakes are also always optional (although in my home they are always a requirement).  Also optional is the addition of Parsley Flakes.  Always be willing to try other flour combinations, like almonds or walnuts ground fine in place of the polenta. Polenta is used sparingly to create a thicker crumb.  The greatest foundation in many recipes for coating with anything is to double dip.  This allows the food to stay juicy and moist – sealed and steaming in a protective coating from the hostility of the cooking oil.  Generally, one needs only to coat the pan with oil.  The oil needs to be hot, but not smoking.  I use olive oil, as my ancestors taught me. It is also generally unnecessary to have huge amounts of oil in a pan.  Always be sure to remove food from the pan to a dish lined with paper towel to absorb any excess oil.

     The combinations and flavors for gluten free breadcrumb and coatings are as limitless as one’s flavor imagination.  The contribution of flavor from breadcrumb and coating to the food’s final taste is enormous and very underrated in current American culinary trends. 

     Chicken cutlets dredged in ‘bread’crumb and fried in a thin coating of oil is common in many households.  Chicken cutlets prepared in this way are the base for chicken cutlet parmigiana.  They are delicious hot or room temperature.  Leftovers make yummy sandwiches or sliced in salad for lunch the next day.  This recipe uses Masa Harina (super finely ground corn flour) with the crunchiness of Polenta (coarse corn meal).  The two textures combine to form a crisp coating.

1  pound Chicken cutlets cleaned and pounded thin

2 Eggs, beaten

4  tablespoons Olive Oil

‘Bread’crumb Mixture:

½ cup gluten free Masa Harina (super finely ground corn) Flour

¼ cup gluten free Polenta (coarse corn meal)

1 tablespoon Grated Cheese (like Locatelli)

¼ teaspoon Salt

¼ teaspoon Garlic granules

1/5 teaspoon Onion granules

• Combine all of the “breadcrumb” ingredients in a shallow bowl and mix thoroughly with a fork. Place aside.
• Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl. Place aside.
• Warm Fry pan to medium high.
• Place the dipping bowls and cutlets in an assembly line:  chicken, flour, egg, plate.

• Also line a plate or cookie sheet with paper      towel.
• The chicken cutlets should be around 3/8”      thick.
• Dredge both sides of each cutlet in egg, then flour.  Returning the chicken for an      additional coating is the double dipping method referred to earlier; again      dredge both sides in egg, then flour.  When thoroughly coated,  place on a fresh prep cutlet plate. (TIP:  To dredge thoroughly, use fork and shift      and swirl cutlet around the inside of the flour bowl.  Lightly and evenly coat each side of the      cutlet with flour. Dredge in egg, return to the flour bowl for another      swirl.)

• Add 1 Tablespoon of oil to pan, allow to heat all of the way through. An even coating of oil lining the pan is all that      is necessary.
• Add cutlets to the pan, allowing room between them so the air circulation can help them cook properly.
• Cook approximately 4-5 minutes on one side, then about 3 minutes on the other.    When the cutlet is ready to be flipped, the poultry will begin to  shrink on all sides and some moisture will sweat out in the center.  Also, bubbles will form on the sides of  the cutlets which will be strong and consistent.  Add additional oil to pan as necessary.  Drizzle between the cutlets if pan gets too dry.

• Remove cutlets to plate covered with paper      towel. Then transfer to serving plate.

• Serve hot or room temperature.  As an option, you can also squeeze a few drops of fresh lemon over cutlets just prior to eating.  These  store well in fridge for a couple of days in a sealed container.  Tastes delicious as leftover work lunch on a salad!

“Breaded Chicken Cutlet” by Liz Conforti, Kitchen Wisdom Gluten Free(c) 2013

Serve with  Spinach in Garlic & Olive Oil  

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