Garlic Rye Croutons for Beer

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Gather your ingredients. Rye or another dark bread is best for these, but if all you have is white bread, that'll work too. Day-old or slightly stale bread is ideal; if it's fresh, pop a few slices in the freezer so it doesn't crumble when you cut it. You can crisp the cubes in the oven or fry them in oil in a skillet.

2. Step 2:

   

   Cut the bread into thin slices no more than ⅜ inch (1 cm) thick, and trim off the crusts neatly — they're denser than the crumb, so pieces with crust won't crisp evenly. Cut the crumb into long sticks or cubes, whichever shape you prefer.

3. Step 3:

   

   Peel a few garlic cloves and slice a couple of them into thin slivers. Press the rest through a garlic press or grate them on the fine side of a grater.

4. Step 4:

   

   Pour vegetable or olive oil into a skillet, add the garlic slivers, and warm the oil until the garlic turns translucent and a light garlic aroma comes up. Carefully lift the garlic pieces out with a fork or spatula.

5. Step 5:

   

   Add the bread pieces to the hot garlic oil. Fry them over medium heat, turning with a spatula, until golden on all sides.

6. Step 6:

   

   Put the grated garlic in a small bowl, add salt, ground black pepper, and paprika to taste, drizzle in a little olive oil, and stir.

7. Step 7:

   

   Add the garlic mixture to the skillet with the croutons, toss quickly, and let them soak up the garlic sauce. Crisp them for a couple more minutes, then take them off the heat before the grated garlic starts to burn and turn the croutons bitter.

8. Step 8:

   

   Pile the croutons into a mound or just serve them on a plate. Done this way, they're crisp on the outside and soft inside, with a rich garlic flavor. If you'd rather have them firm and dry all the way through, crisp them in the oven instead. Enjoy!