The Condiment Ina Garten Uses To Help Panko Stick To Salmon

When you are making homemade fish, fried chicken, or even an eggplant parmesan, one of the best parts about sinking your teeth into the final product is, arguably, the breading. That crispy, crunchy, golden exterior is the end goal when preparing breaded food. So, when that breaded crust is falling off, it can be rather disappointing. Getting the breading to stay in place can be tricky. The Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts concurs, noting a breading can add both taste and texture to just about any meal as long as it is able to stick to the food. 

What makes for a good breading? The cooking school explains a good breading is comprised of "three layers." Serious Eats elaborates on those layers noting, the first must be dry, and a little "rough," so the next layer will stick to it. For this reason, they share the first layer is generally a flour dredge. The second layer needs to be wet and batter-like. This is where your eggs and dairy come in handy and serve as the glue for the last layer. And the third is going to be your grain or crunchy item. This last layer can range from cornmeal, crushed nuts, or just a simple Panko bread crumbs. 

But if you want to skip the egg and dairy in the second layer, or are simply looking to switch things up, you may want to try the condiment Ina Garten uses when she makes salmon.

To give her breaded salmon a pop of flavor, Ina Garten shared on an episode of "Barefoot Contessa" that she turns to a yellow condiment we love on our hot dogs: mustard. Garten tells her viewers the mustard not only helps the panko bread crumbs stick to the fish, but it is an addition your taste buds will enjoy. 

What type of mustard does the celebrity chef use? Dijon, of course. But in her breading adventures, Garten skips the flour dredge and instead simply sprinkles some salt and pepper over her salmon before grabbing the jar of Dijon mustard. She slathers this condiment across each piece of salmon before topping it with a thick layer of her well-seasoned panko bread crumbs. But Garten isn't alone in her love for mustard as a binder for bread crumbs.

Go Healthy Ever After also extols the virtues of using mustard as your glue to keep your bread crumbs in place. The outlet goes on to say fish and mustard are a classic pairing and recommended whole-grain mustard since it adds depth to the flavor.