Garlic Croutons

These garlic croutons are the perfect topping for Alice Waters’ Baked Goat Cheese Salad, but they pair well with most salads. Watch them closely—toasted can go to burnt in just a few minutes.In 2018, Food & Wine named this recipe one of our 40 best.

Baked Goat Cheese Salad
Alice Waters used to say that she would rather make salads than almost anything else, which explains how she is responsible for one of the most iconic dishes of the decade, her baked goat cheese salad. In its essence, it’s a harmonious blend of lettuces combined with softly baked thyme-and-breadcrumb-coated goat cheese, served alongside crunchy garlic croutons. As with so much of Alice Waters’ seasonal, ingredient-driven cooking, this simple dish is all about the quality of the raw materials. Waters once said, “Only the best is good enough.” So use the very best you can find. Photo: Greg DuPree
Active Time:
10 mins
Total Time:
25 mins
Yield:
24 croutons

Ingredients

  • 24 (1/4-inch-thick) day-old baguette slices

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

  • 2 medium garlic cloves, halved

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush both sides of bread with melted butter, and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes, turning halfway through baking. Rub croutons with cut sides of garlic while croutons are slightly warm.

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