Homemade croutons add a welcome textural, as well as visual, contrast to soups and salads. These zippy curried mustard croutons add a flavor boost as well.
They’re great tossed with mustard butter alone (sans curry paste). And with the wide variety of flavored mustards available today, that may be the way you want to go.
On the other hand, curry pastes are a real boon to the busy cook. I keep Thai and True Massamun Curry Paste on hand in the fridge, along with the red and green versions, and use them with wild abandon. Curry Aioli anyone?
So definitely play around with the concept. It’s amazing what a punchy garnish like this can add to an otherwise simple dish. We love to munch on curried mustard croutons too. Popcorn’s feisty cousin.
A Word About Bread
As with most simple comestibles, each ingredient matters even more than usual. So for this concept, with its ONE main ingredient, you need the best you can procure.
In other words, a perfect loaf of ciabatta. A loaf you’re more likely to find at your tried-and-true local bakery than grocery store.
Ciabatta is made from a lean, very wet yeast dough. Low fat with high moisture content create a chewy, open textured bread with a slightly crispy crust. Perfect for dousing with butter and/or olive oil and baking to super crunchy goodness.
Crust or No Crust?
Here’s where serious cooks like to wrangle. I have no deeply held conviction on this topic other than to say that it seems like a waste to discard the excellent crust of an excellent loaf of bread. The crust does however make each crouton a bit more difficult to chew. It depends on the bread. Try it both ways.
Cubed or Torn?
Your decision here affects both the mouth feel and look of the croutons. I play it either way, depending on the dish. Torn has a more causal, artistic look and croutons dissolve faster in the mouth. Diced can be a bit harder to chew, especially if you leave the crust on. And the look is more formal. Your choice. Try a half-and-half batch to see which you prefer.
Curried Mustard Croutons
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Dulcet Madras Curry Mustard (or 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard and 1 teaspoon curry paste)
- 6 ounces bite-size cut or torn French or Italian bread
- coarse sea salt in grinder
- black pepper in grinder
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together butter, olive oil, and Dulcet Madras Curry Mustard.
- Add torn or cut bread and toss to coat with the mustard mixture.
- Grind salt and black pepper over the croutons and toss to distribute evenly.
- Arrange croutons on an edged baking sheet and bake at 350° for about 15 minutes, turning with a spatula once or twice in the process. Croutons with be crunchy and golden brown here and there when done.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet.
- Store in airtight freezer bags until needed. Croutons will keep for a few days. Rewarm to freshen.