HEY JAQ - how do i make really good croutons?

not jaq, but i once threw up in the back of her pickup truck, so...

1) stale a sliced loaf of crusty bread in the oven at 250F, remove
2) cut into one-inch cubes
(optional) rub the cubes with a cut clove of garlic
3) toss with 1/2 c good olive oil or butter and thyme, rosemary, oregano, parsley...
4) spread on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for another 5-10 minutes at 350F

Hahaha! Get some good bread, something with a fairly dense crumb that would make good toast. Cut 2 or 3 1/2" slices and cut the crust off. Cut into crouton sized bits and let them sit out to dry while you do the rest. Heat up a stick of butter in a skillet so it is barely sizzling. Splash in a little bit of olive oil to help keep it from burning. Put a clove or two of chopped garlic in there and let it simmer for 10 minutes really low, but don't let it get brown. Fish all the garlic bits out and now you have some amazing garlic butter. Fry the bread cubes in it for 10 minutes, until they are nice and brown. Take them off the heat and sprinkle with a spoonful of dry grated cheese (parmesan, romano, mizithra) and herbs. Stir them around gently then remove from the pan onto paper to drain off some of the oil. When they are cooled, store them in a closed container - they'll keep for a few days no problem.

remy's way is simpler. My way is more oil-icious.

you guys rock. i <3 both of you.

http://isthatpie.wordpress.com/

We should add a cooking advice section :)

yes yes! i'm hopeless in the kitchen (and tbh, mostly lazy) and i pretty much live on toast and cereal. i lack the creativity to think about food in terms beyond opening a packet and heating it.

My freelance client frequently sends me packages of sourdough bread from Boudin Bakery, and I'm actually pretty sick of their product, so I usually turn it into croutons. I mash up garlic cloves, kosher salt and olive oil into an emulsion with the old mortar and pestle. (My daughter calls this "garlic snot".) I cube up the bread, toss it with the garlic paste to coat, and then fry up the bread cubes. Tossing the bread with the garlic stuff before hitting them with the heat seems to coat them more evenly.

Rock Hardy, I believe that is aoili is italian for "garlic snot".

there is a "which" missing up there

Huh, I guess so...I never really looked up an aioli recipe before, but I guess that's the stuff. I bet it would be even better with roasted garlic.

jaq why do you cut the crusts off your croutons

To soak up more butter/oil. Also helps the crumb to dry out more.