[Sca-cooks] buttered bread crumb topping

[Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius]

On Dec 12, 2005, at 2:49 AM, Stefan li Rous wrote:

> Talking about her variation on macaroni and cheese, Gwen Cat  
> mentioned:
> > Buttered bread crumb topping optional.
>
> I have a newbie cook question. What is the best way to create this?
>
> 1) Mix the bread crumbs and the butter in a bowl and then try to  
> transfer that to the Mac and cheese?
> 2) Put some slices of butter down on the top of the macaroni and  
> then sprinkle everything with the bread crumbs?
> 3) Do either of the above, but melt the butter first?
> 4) Something else?

One solution I'm familiar with is to melt butter in a sauce pan over  
low heat until it stops bubbling (IOW, all the water is gone) but  
hasn't browned, then stir in bread crumbs. Amounts will largely be  
determined by experience over a couple of attempts. The end product  
just slightly resembles wet sand, but isn't gloopy (the advantage of  
cooking the water out of the butter).

You can also just allow the butter to soften completely and work it  
into the crumbs, breaking up lumps with your fingers.

My local pizzeria makes a Sicilian pie with onions and crumbs with  
olive oil instead of cheese, but unfortunately I don't think they're  
open this early...

Adamantius




"S'ils n'ont pas de pain, vous fait-on dire, qu'ils  mangent de la  
brioche!" / "If there's no bread to be had, one has to say, let them  
eat cake!"
     -- attributed to an unnamed noblewoman by Jean-Jacques Rousseau,  
"Confessions", 1782

"Why don't they get new jobs if they're unhappy -- or go on Prozac?"
     -- Susan Sheybani, assistant to Bush campaign spokesman Terry  
Holt, 07/29/04