Cascading Kitchen Notes
You won't find these in a bag or a box.
There are tons of crouton recipes that call for baking in the oven. Not so good; dried out like you'd get in a box. Instead, cook them slowly in the skillet. Start them early so they're not rushed and allow the house to fill with lovely aromas of garlic and olive oil. With your loving attention they will turn into delectable little morsels; a worthy crown for your sumptuous salad.
Croutons
- 2 lbs of GOOD long proof bread- NOT the cheap stuff!
Cut into 1 inch cubes and leave the crust on.
In a heavy skillet on med-low heat add:
- ½ cup olive oil
- 3-4 cloves of minced garlic
- Add enough bread cubes to cover the pan in a single layer
- Toss the bread in the olive oil and spread it out again.
- Every 5 min. toss and spread out again.
- You may have to lower the heat to keep the oil below 375 degrees.
This process takes about 40 min so be patient and turn to heat down so you never burn the cubes or the garlic.
- Add more olive oil as the cooking process continues.
- Cook until the cubes are crunchy and full of garlic and olive oil flavor.
- When they’re done sprinkle with plenty of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
They are so good you’ll have to hide them if you expect to serve them on top of your Caesar salad! If by some miracle there are leftovers, store them in an airtight jar.