Umami Crisps
Thursday, October 11, 2012 at 4:00AM 
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The joke about a chef’s refrigerator is it’s filled with condiments, but nothing normal to eat like fruits, vegetables or meat. This is because condiments make everything taste better and because many of us shop for the immediate meal ahead instead of doing a weekly plan.
This week is “What’s in Your Pantry?” week at Special Fork. All week long, we’re blogging about our go-to pantry staples … the essential items we can’t live without.
When I think of cooking essentials, I confess that naturally brewed soy sauce is my secret weapon for making everything from Japanese to Mexican food taste great. Next comes Parmesan cheese, garlic, ginger, citrus juice and zest, chiles and oils, including sesame and peanut oils, and all different kinds of sweeteners from honey to agave. I also use vinegars with abundance including rice wine, apple cider, sherry, champagne, black, white and red.
Let’s concentrate on the big two: soy sauce and Parmesan. I use them both to add complexity and enhance flavor, develop umami (the fifth taste), thicken sauces, and on and on. So I thought I would combine the two in a recipe called Umami Crisps that you can crumble over pasta or salads, use as a burger topper, cream into butter to brush on steaks or chicken, or simply snack on for a flavor intense companion to a healthy snack of carrots and cucumbers.
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Umami Crisps
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Dash of soy sauce (about 1/4 teaspoon)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.
Mix the two types of Parmesan and soy sauce together in a small bowl. Drop the Parmesan by tablespoons into small mounds about 2 inches apart. Flatten out mounds with the back of a spoon. Bake until golden and crispy and browned around the edges, about 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from oven and cool about 5 minutes. Transfer the crisps with a spatula to a wire rack and cool completely. Serve the crisps as croutons in soups or salads.
You can make the crisps in advance and store them in an airtight container for one day. They will get soft if exposed to the air for too long. If this happens simply dissolve them into your favorite salad dressing.
Makes about 6 crisps
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