Chilis hanging to dry in Altomonte village in the Calabria region of Italy.
July 9, 2025
For years, I’ve wanted a low-carb crumb topping that actually behaves like a crust when broiled. Something that clings to a piece of fish or meat without falling apart. Something golden on top, with flavor that punches above its weight.
Like many recipes I tinker with, this one began with a bad video of a crumb crust for fish made of breadcrumbs, bacon and cheddar cheese. It was a soggy-looking dish but the crust sparked an idea.
Ages ago, I’d made a mental note to try pistachios in place of breadcrumbs. Their texture is right and so is their flavor. So I pulled out a handful of shelled pistachios and chopped them in the food processor, not too fine. Good start. Parmigiano-Reggiano was the obvious choice for the cheese. But what this needed was something to replace the bacon, a protein to really bind things together plus tasty fats. That’s when I remembered pancetta, a lovely unsmoked Italian pork belly.
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