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Roasted Garlic Croutons:

Ingredients

  • 2 loaves of day old plain white bread ( unsliced )
  • 1 garlic head
  • 1 cup good olive oil
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 6 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese

    • Method

    Cut the garlic head in half horizontally. Now place into a ovenproof casserole dish, ( I used a loaf pan ). Place the sprigs of thyme and the peppercorns on top. Now, pour the olive oil over top of the garlic and thyme. Cover with foil and place into the oven at 300F for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the oven and strain, set the oil aside to cool. If not using right away, pour into an airtight container. The garlic olive oil will keep for about a month in a cool dark place. After the olive oil has cooled, pour into a large bowl, add the grated parmesan cheese and a little more thyme ( removed from the stem ). Remove the crust from the loves of bread and slice into 1 inch cubes. Place the cubed bread into the large bowl with the oil and mix well using your hands. Once all the oil is absorbed, place the cubes onto a cookie sheet. Bake in a 400F oven for about 10 minutes or until very lightly browned. Remove from oven and serve while still hot.