Hi. I have been reading here a long time but this is my 1st post. Being born Southern, loving everything fried with a crust, I felt compelled to contribute. I just discovered Panko crumbs about a year ago. And I love them for certain things. But.....for a 'light' fry of chicken, cutlets etc I think you need much finer crumbs. The Progresso flavored crumbs are great. I will take chicken pieces and if they are too thick I will slice them thinner. Most often anymore, I will soak in buttermilk for a few hours, drain, and then dredge in seasoned crumbs before frying / sauteeing. After everything is brown I will put them in the oven on absorbent paper (never piling them on each other) to stay warm and crispy. Especially with chicken using the Italian seasoned crumbs fresh lemon juice squeezed over the cooked pieces right before serving is really good. For a heavier chicken dish, such as Chicken Kiev, I will do the whole seasoned flour, egg wash, seasoned crumbs, rest in fridge for an hour or so then fry in deep fat scenario....which would never happen on a family dinner night!! Too much time. I really enjoy reading all the posts.
