I made a batch of these this morning from a very stale loaf of french bread and they came out so crisp and delicious that they are already almost all gone. I like to put them in my soup or eat my tuna salad on them. My husband likes them in his daily salad. They would also make a good substitue for crackers if you were doing a little wine and cheese thing one evening.
There are all different ways to make croutons that involve sauteeing bread cubes in oil which puts me off entirely - too messy and oily for me. This method is so simple that I've even enlisted my kids to help me. In fact, it was my youngest who discovered that if you "paint" both sides of the bread with oil they turn out even better.
I used to put the grated cheese on them, but I've stopped. It's a whole extra step in the process and they seem to be just as amazingly good without.
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Croutons
adapted from Ina Garten's "Barefoot Contessa"
1 loaf stale baguette
good quality extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated pecorino romano or parmigiano-reggiano(optional)
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
Slice bread into 1/4-inch slices. Brush one side with olive oil. Arrange in rimmed cookie sheet in single layer. Salt and pepper generously. Sprinkle with cheese if using. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
Let cool completely. Store in a heavy ziplock storage bag.
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