To dredge an ingredient is when you lightly coat the surface of the ingredient with a dry substance before cooking it. Flour, breadcrumbs, and sugar are some of the most popular examples of dry substances that are used for this cooking method.
This technique is used for either savoury or sweet dishes, however, it is more popular with savoury components. Chicken schnitzels and fish fillets are probably some of the most popular examples of meals that make use of the dredging method. Check out this Crispy Home Made Chicken Nugget recipe to see the dredging method in action.
The fun part of this cooking method is that you can add any seasoning or spices to your dry mix. This gives you the freedom to play around to find that perfect pop of flavour. A good example of this is when you add paprika to your breadcrumbs mixture.
CHEF’S TIP
To dredge an ingredient in flour or any other dry substance helps to seal in all the moisture from the food. This will keep the food from getting too dry or tough while cooking.
We have given an example below. This is probably the most popular reference to dredging in recipes.
Watch How to Dredge below
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