Croutons often can be found at the buffet or in the original filing of the first dishes: thin slices of toasted bread with a light structure and special sizes, combines with appetizers and soups. These crunchy slices of white bread successfully complete courses, combining harmoniously with them. Often referred to as salty croutons croutons or crackers, and serves as an independent snack Low calorie snacks   Beer and wine.

What croutons

The name croutons received from the French word «crouton», which means "rump". Initially, pieces of toasted bread used only to supply rare desserts and vegetables, croutons which played the role of the foundation, advantageously exhibiting exotic dishes. However, over time this bread "pedestal" were put up pieces of meat and fish, poultry and vegetables was served to the mashed potatoes and cream soups.

Modern croutons as usual for European toasts, are pieces of fried bread. Ideally, they should be made from a special bread that is baked only for croutons. However, in practice, these breads are made from a variety of rolls and Saeki, loaves and baguettes. Traditional classic croutons are in the shape of a cube, recently appeared oval and round types. Most often they are prepared from white bread, though there are products made from rye flour and peeled.

Croutons just called and light, small snacks, served on fried bread. Such dishes are most often used for receptions. For this purpose the bread is cut into thin slices and fried in butter, two sides, or a lattice toaster without oil. Metal molds of bread crispy crumb cut out various figures in the form of stars, crescents, squares, brush them with butter and spread on top of a variety of pieces of meat, fish or vegetable platter.

Often flavored with garlic croutons, various spices, tomatoes, bacon Bacon - guide on meat , Cheese and so forth. At home, this can be achieved if sprinkle toasted croutons rubbed shaving products or a mixture of finely chopped herbs and vegetables. In an industrial scale is carried out by spraying a flavoring powder with different flavors ready croutons.

Etiquette supply croutons

In the case of cooking crouton fourchette for the banquet, they served on linen napkin on a large platter or tray. The waiter etiquette feeding takes Beret - a symbol of French charm   Each croutons spatula or tongs and puts it on a plate a la carte guest. Often at the center of a gastronomic salad or slicing, located on crouton, placed a plastic, metal or wooden skewers to each participant banquet alone could take liked the dish. Knife and fork to the croutons are not served, the guests eat this dish by hand.

It is interesting

The most popular sizes of croutons for salads in the restaurant world recognized pieces of bread ten millimeters thick and the size of 13x13, 18x18, 24x24 mm. Croutons a range of twenty-five millimeters in diameter are most commonly used in the manufacture of a variety of snack foods.

Sometimes the preparation of the famous American salad "Caesar", which is more than eighty years, is used instead of toast and crackers, dried croutons. They decorate the salad after its complete manufacturing hoisted colorful fragrant slices over lettuce leaves. Prepare the croutons for the salad "Caesar" from the white loaf, cut pieces to bear on both sides in vegetable oil. They are then cut into cubes the size of 10x10 mm, laid on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and put in a strongly heated oven for five minutes, turn over and sent for another five minutes. The result is a crispy golden croutons with fragrant crust, soft inside - perfect for a salad.

Feed dishes croutons always spectacular, beautiful and original, moreover, is very economical, because visually increases the dish. It is enough to pair fruit, pineapple, or one hundred grams of sausage and a loaf of bread to feed the whole company. Croutons - is the choice of creative and cost-conscious owners.

Jeanne Pyatirikova