A crouton is a small piece of sautéed or
rebaked bread, often cubed and seasoned, that is used to add
texture and flavor to salads, notably the Caesar salad, as an
accompaniment to soups, or eaten as a snack food. The word
crouton is derived from the French croûton, itself
derived from croûte, meaning "crust".
White bread
250
g
Making croutons is relatively simple.Nearly any type of unsweetened bread, in a loaf or
pre-sliced, with or without crust, may be used. Dry or stale
leftover bread is usually used in lieu of fresh bread. Once
prepared, the croutons will remain fresh far longer than the
bread.
The bread
is cut into small cubes about 1 cm thick:
Then the cubes are baked in a pre-heated oven
(200°С) for 5-10
minutes or until they start
to brown lightly:
Alternatively, they may be fried lightly in
butter or vegetable oil, until crisp and as brown as desired to
give them a buttery flavor and crunchy texture.
Croutons
can be kept in an air tight container in a dry place for 5-7
days. They are often used to make stuffing
as well as in salads and soups.
