There is something to be said about bread that eventually finds its end as a crouton. It’s a terrific way to recycle day-old bread that has lost its fresh crunch. Croutons are one of those foods that taste so much better when made fresh (ironically since it’s made from day-old bread) and it’s easy to do it yourself. Plus you can control the ingredients compared to the 50-ingredient + list in most of the store store-bought varieties.
“Crouton” is a French word that means crust. The simplest and quickest version of croutons is buttered bread simply toasted (in a regular toaster) and cut it into small cubes. They are terrific when tossed into salads -- think of Caesar salad in which croutons are a must. The crunchy bread adds terrific mouth feel and bulk into the salad. Croutons sprinkled over an oozing dish like mac & cheese add a welcoming textural contrast. And of course croutons are traditionally used for stuffing especially a classic Thanksgiving turkey stuffing where it sponges up the roasting juices and became a delicious flavor catcher Croutons can be large as in a classic French onion soup, which has one cheesy crouton floating on top of the soup. Also, in sweet applications croutons can be seductive - rich brioche bread toasted with a little butter and dusted with powdered sugar, sprinkled over ice cream are a revelation.
Making croutons
Lately I have been hooked on croutons and make them in many different ways. I use ground black pepper and sea salt as a basic spice. Usually I toss them in extra virgin olive oil and freshly chopped herbs - basil, thyme and or parsley make a great addition. Granted there are oven-baked variations of croutons out there but I prefer to toast them in a non-stick pan over medium heat, continuously shaking. A delicious trick is to cook a clove of garlic cut in half along with the croutons in the skillet – this way the bread gets an addictive perfumed scent.
Classically, croutons are cut into cubes, but often I simply slice the bread thinly, drizzle it with olive oil and cook until they are picturesquely golden. I let them cool on a kitchen paper towel, which absorbs the excess fat. Then I simply break them into mouth-sized pieces with my hands. The irregular pieces give a dish a rustic look.
Don’t skimp on the oil -- the croutons come out particularly good when they are cooked in plenty of oil, which makes them almost “crouton fries”. Later you can cut-down the oil in the dressing if you like though.
Basil/Extra Virgin
Olive Oil Croutons
(recipe makes 2 cups)
6 slices or 2 cups ¼-inch diced bread, I prefer square sized
Pullman whole wheat, multigrain bread
1 tablespoon sliced basil
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
sea salt, to taste
fresh black pepper from a mill
- In a bowl toss olive oil basil, basil, salt and pepper
- On medium heat setting cook croutons until they are browned
- Transfer croutons to a kitchen paper towel – this will absorb the excess oil
Chef’s Note: Before you take the golden-brown cooked croutons out of the pan sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over them and cook for 30 seconds longer
