Crescent City Croutons

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New orleans is called the crescent city because of the crescent curve the mississippi river makes there. these seasoned croutons are from chef emile stieffel. you may, of course, lessen the heat" by cutting down on the peppers."

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Steps

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Cut french bread lengthwise as if for a long sandwich.

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Then cut the bread lengthwise with two or three cuts from the top to the bottom.

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Then cut the bread across to produce cubes of bread about 3 / 4 of an inch thick.

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Place the cubed bread in a large bowl that slopes to a small bottom.

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This will direct excess oil and seasonings towards the bottom of the bowl.

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Add the bread to the bowl and all of the seasonings.

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Toss gently for several minutes , it is important to insure that the seasonings are distributed evenly and that the oil is completely absorbed by the bread.

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Arrange the croutons in a single layer on a 1 / 2 sheet baking or a jellyroll pan.

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Preheat oven to 350f , place the baking sheet in the oven , then turn off the oven immediately.

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Bake the croutons for 90 minutes , do not open oven during that time.

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Allow the croutons to cool , place in a shallow serving bowl and serve with salads.

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Ingredients

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day-old french bread, extra virgin olive oil, granulated garlic, pickled garlic, granulated onion, paprika, ground cayenne pepper, white pepper, black pepper, dried thyme leaves, dried sweet basil leaves, oregano leaves