Think of crumbles as crisp crumbs or small croutons, made from things other than bread. The idea is to turn common foods — cooked beans or noodles or nuts — into toppings for anything from soups and salads to mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables. There’s a tradition of this technique in Japan, where fried bits of tempura batter — agedama — are used as a final garnish.
You can handle them all the same way: Start with a large, deep skillet and enough good-quality olive or vegetable oil to cover the pan to a depth of ⅛ to ¼ inch. Turn the heat to medium-high while you prepare your ingredient (see the list below). When the oil is hot, cook the crumbles, turning them gently, stirring, and breaking the pieces up so that they brown and crisp on all sides. Use a slotted spoon to remove them when they are done and set them on paper towels to drain. While they’re still hot, sprinkle with salt and pepper or your favorite spice blend (see pages 648 to 652). Each of these is enough for 4 or so servings.
Falafel Crumbles Next time you make Falafel (page 472), save ½ cup of batter to make crumbles. (It’ll keep in the fridge for a day or 2.) Use a small fork to distribute the batter in the hot oil, and when it starts to set, stir carefully to form small bits.
Bean Crumbles Start with 1 cup cooked or canned chickpeas, beans, or lentils. Make sure they’re well drained. Use a fork to mash them a bit, then put them in the hot oil. As they cook, carefully break them up even more.
Nut Crumbles Pulse ½ cup of your favorite nuts in a food processor a couple of times, or chop by hand, until they’re about the size of split peas. Put them in the hot oil and fry until deeply golden, stirring constantly to keep them from burning. They’ll be ready in just a minute or so.
Noodle Crumbles Start with 1 cup cooked long noodles, like spaghetti, angel hair, or thin Asian noodles. Whole grain kinds give you the most flavor and texture. Chop the strands into ½-inch pieces. Add them to the hot oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, browned, and wavy.
Crumbled Grains Take ½ cup large cooked whole grains like wheat or rye berries, hominy, fregola, or farro (page 398). Cook them in the hot oil, stirring occasionally, until golden.
Potato Skin Crumbles Coarsely chop the peels from 2 well-scrubbed potatoes. Add them to the hot oil and stir gently to keep them separate while they cook.