FOOD NEWS
What It Means To 'Dredge' In
A Recipe
By Crystal Antonace
While the terms dredging and breading are sometimes used interchangeably in cooking, they have distinct meanings. Cuisine at Home defines breading as a three-step process involving dry and wet ingredients, while The Culinary Pro defines dredging as tossing food in a light layer of flour or other coatings without additional steps or wet ingredients.
To dredge, simply add your coating to a shallow pan or plate and steep your food in and around the coating, shaking off any extra for an even layer. Beginner Food recommends removing any moisture from your food, since wet coating often prevents the desired browning that dredged food and hot oil often bring.
Dredging creates a nice crunch for your meals and protects your food from high heat, which keeps your meat moist and tender. If you are looking into adding more texture to your favorite fried food when breading, you can incorporate dredging not once but twice, in between a dip in some raw eggs and milk.