I want to share 3 of my favourite croutons recipes. I always believe that if you can make it yourself, go homemade. I’m not sure about other countries but in Malaysia, store-bought croutons are not the cheapest thing in the world. I know I keep talking about how food stuff is pricey or that ingredient is expensive, but the economy has gotten so bad that food prices are really on an all time high. So now, more than ever, we should try to avoid eating all that instant stuff as much as we can.
I like making my croutons with stale baguettes (pic below), if you’re thinking about white bread slices, I’ve tried it before but the thickness of those generic white breads are not what I’m looking for in a perfect crouton. Besides, baguettes are much porous and therefore they suck in all that flavour you infuse it with. Ciabattas are also great breads for croutons.
Source; https://wholesomemommy.com/french-baguette/
Any flavour is fair game for croutons. I even like to make as such that they taste like snacks. My little man loves cheese flavoured croutons and he would eat them like they were actual cheese puffs (pic below). The idea is, to go experiment….it’s better than tossing away that leftover stale bread. When my baguettes are almost due, I’d quickly diced them up and keep them in the fridge in a sandwich bag, so whenever I need to make some croutons, it’s there in stock. That stored bread is also good for puddings, stratas, panzanellas and homemade breadcrumbs.
Source;https://melissaschwartz.blogspot.com
CROUTONS RECIPE 1 (GARLIC AND PARSLEY)
Ingredients;
Diced baguette, or torn with fingers
Garlic powder
Olive oil
Dried parsley
Black Pepper
Steps;
1. Pour some olive oil in a deep bowl. Toss in your diced baguette and coat each cubes with the oil. Sprinkle garlic powder, dried parsley and pepper. Toss to coat everything evenly.
2. Toast in an oven till they’re crispy and golden.
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CROUTONS RECIPE 2 (PARMESAN CHEESE)
Ingredients;
Diced baguette, or torn with fingers
Grated parmesan
Olive oil
Black Pepper
Steps;
1. Mix the olive oil and the grated parmesan in a bowl. Toss in the diced baguette to coat. Sprinkle black pepper on top.
2. Toast in an oven till they’re crispy and golden.
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CROUTONS RECIPE 3 (BACON FAT)
Ingredients;
Diced baguette, or torn with fingers
Bacon fat
Steps;
1. If you have recipes or salads that require you to render some bacon, don’t toss away the grease. Coat some diced baguette in the fat and toast in the oven till they’re golden brown.
These croutons are not just for salads, they’re excellent for soups too. Experiment further with spices too like cumin, curry powder, paprika or even chilli.
As always, enjoy!
Related recipes;
French Onion Soup
Caesar Salad
