Nutty-Crunchy Oven-Fried Cutlets

FASTER

Makes 6 servings

Call it “better cooking with a rolling pin”! In a blender or food processor, the coating for oven-frying gets too powdery to yield a good crunch. But by pounding the breadcrumb mixture in a plastic bag by hand, you create a coarser texture, with little bits of nuts and spice throughout. Toss the sealed bags with the pulverized bits in the freezer to keep for up to 6 months. You don’t even need to thaw them when you’re ready to dredge the cutlets. And as a final bonus, with nuts in the mix, you don’t need to brush the meat with egg before coating (just coat with nonstick spray), saving you a bowl and a step, too.

Walnut, Lemon, and Sage Cutlets

1 cup plain panko breadcrumbs

⅔ cup walnut pieces

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon dried sage

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon table salt

Nonstick spray, preferably an olive oil spray

Six 6-ounce thin turkey breast cutlets, veal cutlets, or skinless catfish fillets

Spicy Pecan and Cornmeal Cutlets

1 cup yellow cornmeal

⅔ cup pecan pieces

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon ground dried mustard

1 teaspoon mild paprika

1 teaspoon table salt

Up to 1 teaspoon cayenne

Nonstick spray, preferably an olive oil spray

Six 6-ounce thin turkey breast cutlets, veal cutlets, or skinless catfish fillets

Hazelnut and Chive Cutlets

1 cup plain dried breadcrumbs

½ cup peeled roasted hazelnuts

6 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about ¾ ounce)

1 tablespoon dried chives

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Nonstick spray, preferably an olive oil spray

Six 6-ounce thin turkey breast cutlets, veal cutlets, or skinless catfish fillets

1. Position the rack in the center of the oven; heat the oven to 400°F.

2. Place all the ingredients for your desired coating (except, of course, the nonstick spray and the cutlets) in a large plastic freezer bag. Squeeze out the excess air and seal.

3. Pound the bag on a counter with a rolling pin, lightly at first until you get the hang of it, then harder and harder, until the nuts are coarsely pulverized, but not powdery. At least twice, shake the bag to rearrange the ingredients so they’re uniformly distributed. Pour the coating into a pie plate or a 9-inch square baking dish.

4. Lightly coat a large lipped baking sheet with nonstick spray. Also lightly coat each cutlet on both sides with the spray. Dredge each cutlet on both sides in the coating, shaking off any excess. Lay in a single layer on the baking sheet.

5. Spray the tops of the cutlets one more time. Bake until the cutlets are golden and crunchy, about 18 minutes. Set the baking sheet on a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes before serving.

• For Sunday power cooking, make one batch of any of the three coating variations to the left (without the cutlets in tow—and without pouring the coating mixture onto a plate). Or make two, or all three coatings. Maybe even a bag or two each. These can then be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months, ready to go when you are. There’s no need to thaw before use.

• Dried herbs work much better than fresh in this technique, as they won’t singe and turn bitter.

• Squeeze out any excess air from the plastic bag with the coating or it will pop when pounded.

• The cutlets or fish fillets must be thin, under ½ inch thick.

• Do not use an insulated baking sheet. It will actually slow down the cooking and render the coating soggy.

• Because the coating is lighter than most other breaded coatings, do not turn the cutlets on the baking sheet—and remove them gingerly with a thin metal spatula.

To make these with pork cutlets, buy 6-ounce center-cut boneless pork loin chops, put them between two sheets of plastic wrap, and pound with the flat side of a meat pounder, a heavy rolling pin, or the bottom of a heavy pot until each is ¼ inch thick. Work gently at first, then more aggressively as they start to spread out, taking care not to tear the cutlets.