It can be so frustrating when a simple cooking technique seems to often go wrong and breading is a classic example. By breading, I mean coating food with crumbs, usually bread, although you can use crackers, cereal, or nuts. Breading is applied to lean food items, e.g. fish, chicken, or pork food with mild flavor that can dry out easily.

Breading retains moisture as well as provides taste and texture. But, too often, the coating will come off while cooking, either in small pieces or entirely. Or the coating gets too brown before the food is cooked through. Or the coating never gets really crisp. Here are some tips on how to avoid these problems.

The classic breading technique is called in culinary circles "anglaise" which is French for "in the English fashion". This technique requires that the food be first covered lightly with flour, then dipped into egg, and finally coated with the crumbs. To prepare for this procedure, first sprinkle flour on a piece of either waxed or parchment paper. Season the flour with at least salt and pepper, possibly with cayenne pepper, paprika, or other herbs or spices.

 Now, in a medium sized bowl, beat an egg with a tablespoon of water. Do not over beat the egg and create too many bubbles - too much air will prevent the egg from grabbing onto the crumbs. Put the bowl next to the flour. Pile the coating crumbs on another piece of wax or parchment paper placed next to the egg bowl. Season with at least salt and pepper, and any desired herbs or spices.

Now, prepare the food item. First, pat the food as dry as possible moisture is the major reason that the crust will not stick. Second, try to cut or pound the food to be as uniform as possible so that each piece cooks evenly and in the same amount of time. Pound pork or chicken fillets to be approximately ½ thick. This size allows the food to cook through at about the same time the crust becomes golden. If the food item is much thicker, or uneven, it is best to pan-fry the coated foods until the surface becomes light brown, and then finish cooking the food in a hot 450-degree oven. This two step cooking procedure also allows the food to get a really crisp coating.

Once you have the food prepared, dust the food lightly with the flour and shake off the excess. The flour will insure a dry surface. Using your other hand, dip the food into the egg wash and lay it on the breadcrumbs, turning it once. Reverting back to your dry hand, press crumbs into both sides of the food and rest it on a rack, e.g. a cake cooling rack. The food should rest 20 minutes or so, allowing the egg to dry slightly, further cementing its ability to hold on to the crust. Alternatively to passing the food back and forth between your hands, you can use rubber gloves to keep your hands from being breaded.

Breading is used with either deep or pan frying, or baking. Pan-frying is the trickiest of these procedures, but most problems are avoided by three factors. First, there has to be enough oil in the pan. When the food is put in the pan, the oil should come halfway up the side of the food. Second, as with deep fat frying, the oil needs to be sufficiently preheated, either to 375 degrees if you have a thermometer, or until the oil is shimmering on the surface. Third, the pan should not be crowded the pieces should not touch.

The fun of the technique is to play with different coatings. Dried breadcrumbs are the classic choice, whether coarse or fine. The crumb texture does not impact whether the coating sticks, but it does have other effects. Fine crumbs will absorb less fat than larger crumbs. However, coarser crumbs will turn a darker brown.

If you haven't tried them, I strongly recommend that you experiment with Panko breadcrumbs. These are made in Japan, and are dried electrostatically as opposed to baked. They're larger than ordinary breadcrumbs, have a rough, crunchy texture, coat very thoroughly and evenly, and stay crispy and retain heat longer than ordinary crumbs. Panko crumbs are not easy to find unless you have access to an Asian grocery store, but they can be bought on the Web at www.pacificrim-gourmet.com for $3.95 for six ounces.

If you like cheese, a common variation of "Anglaise" is called " alla Milanese" with grated Parmesan cheese replacing 1/3 of the breadcrumbs. Finely chopped nuts can also be a partial or entire replacement for breadcrumbs try hazelnuts with chicken. Alternatively, crushed cereal like corn flakes can be used.

One of my favorite ways to bread fish is with uncooked cream of wheat. Season one cup of cream of wheat - use any kind but instant - with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and 1 teaspoon or regular or white pepper.