Recipe: Perfect Croutons

The simplicity of salads is often their great appeal. Raw vegetables, cold meats, and a drizzle
of high quality virgin olive oil - light, easy and refreshing.  Yet sometimes, be it a celebratory meal, a dinner party or the simple enjoyment of cooking, one can wish to do more than arrange pre-cooked meat and chopped vegetables on a plate.

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Putting a little extra time into a salad does not have to mean huge flavours, complex
presentation or expensive ingredients. To keep your salads simple and delicately flavoured
we have here our recipe for croutons. The perfect addition to any salad, and your guests will
be impressed that you made them from scratch!

Ingredients
1 loaf of French bread (a few days old)
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp unsalted butter melted
4 cloves of garlic chopped
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried mixed herbs

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Cut the bread into bitesized cubes (don’t cut them too small or they will become too hard
and dry) and transfer the bread onto a parchment lined baking sheet
3. Add the olive oil, butter, garlic, salt, pepper and herbs to a saucepan and over a low heat,
heat until the butter has melted.
4. Drizzle this liquid over the bread. Using your hands gently toss the croutons and make sure
they are coated with all of the oils.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes until they are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool before
serving.