“The Sicilian Seasoned Breadcrumbs”
Back in the time of the Bourbons, the people of the Two Sicilies were impoverished; housewives then began to “stretch” their meals by using Sicilian seasoned breadcrumbs, or “muddica atturrata” in the Sicilian dialect.
It became an indispensable condiment in our cuisine.
How can we not remember dishes that use it, such as Messinese-style braciolettine—whether meat, chicken, or fish—meatballs, pasta with sardines, or pasta with sautéed broccoli, pasta with fish and “muddica,” cutlets, sarde a beccafico, and many others where this element enhances the dish.
This much-appreciated ingredient is still prepared today as it was centuries ago, using stale bread and toasting it in the oven, while in the past leftover bread was simply dried in the sun to make it crunchy.
Here is the recipe.
You might be interested in recipes using Sicilian seasoned breadcrumbs
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 10
- Cooking methods: No cooking required
- Cuisine: Italian Regional
- Region: Sicily
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 174.10 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 30.16 (g) of which sugars 1.04 (g)
- Proteins 6.36 (g)
- Fat 3.51 (g) of which saturated 1.79 (g)of which unsaturated 0.02 (g)
- Fibers 2.09 (g)
- Sodium 766.85 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 70 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
Let’s go shopping
- 1.1 lb Stale bread (stale for 2 or 3 days)
- 1 cup Pecorino Romano (grated Ragusano or another hard cheese)
- 1 clove Garlic (minced)
- 3/4 cup Parsley (finely chopped)
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper (ground)
“The Sicilian Seasoned Breadcrumbs”
Tools
What we need
- Baking tray
- Grater
- Bowl
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Parchment paper
Preparation “The Sicilian Seasoned Breadcrumbs”
First of all, choose bread that doesn’t have a very thick crust. It’s better if they are oil rolls, because they are easier to grate by hand or with an electric grater.
If you want an extremely fine crumb do this:
Slice it into slices about 1/4 inch thick, and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Turn the oven on to 302°F for at least 15 minutes. As soon as the bread takes on a color similar to when you make bruschetta, turn off the oven and let it cool with the door open.
If instead you want rather coarse breadcrumbs, do not put the bread in the oven; instead keep it in the fridge for 3 days and then grate it by hand or with an electric grater.
The grain of the breadcrumbs should not be too fine, but slightly coarse.
Start adding: the ground pepper,
a generous bunch of finely chopped parsley,
The grated Pecorino Romano. Over time this has been completely or partially replaced with Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano.
I still make it the old-fashioned way because it enriches the flavor of dishes more.
The garlic finely minced and the salt.
Mix everything together.
And here is the finished “The Sicilian Seasoned Breadcrumbs” — an indispensable element for our cuisine.
Place the garlic and parsley in the Thermomix bowl and chop 8 sec speed 8.
Scrape down with the spatula and if the mince is not fine enough you can repeat.
Collect everything and transfer the mixture to a bowl.
Without washing the bowl, grate the cheese: cut into cubes and chop 5 sec speed 8. Scrape down with the spatula and repeat until the grain is fine enough.
Continue with the breadcrumbs, without washing the bowl.
Put the crisp bread into the bowl in pieces about 3/4 to 1 1/4 inches, a little at a time. Turn on the Thermomix 10 sec speed 5. Scrape down with the spatula and continue until all the bread is processed.
Now add the rest of the ingredients we had set aside to the bowl with the grated bread and mix everything 10 sec speed 8. You will notice that with the Thermomix the breadcrumbs will take on a green tint due to the power of the chopping action of the appliance.
Storage
Tutorial “The Sicilian Seasoned Breadcrumbs” — You can prepare a good amount and store it for 7 days in the refrigerator or even 3 months in the freezer.
Tutorial “The Sicilian Seasoned Breadcrumbs”
Can I make it with other types of bread?
Yes — with all types made from different flours suitable for those with intolerances or for diabetics.
