With thanks to @SheenaPrakash, author of Salad Seasons: Vegetable-Forward Dishes All Year, this is the most TicToc, Instagrammable, FaceBookish cooking-hack/thing/pro-tip I’ve learned all year.
Turn Parmesan rinds into crunchy Parmesan croutons. These little joy nuggets are crunchy and stay crunchy under refrigeration. They add texture and umami to anything you put them on. Soup, salad, you name it.
To make Parmesan Croutons, cut them into tiny squares and bake them @ 350 degrees for 15-ish minutes for crunchy croutons, 10 minutes for soft and chewy nuggets.
In the photo, please note the size— a diminutive 1/4 inch square. Also note, the squares are resting on the rind.
Bake them until they smoke. When they smoke a little, they’re going to be soft and juicy. Five more minutes and they’re smoking-like-to-set-off-the-smoke-alarm baked to crunchy perfection.
That’s it.
There will be some oil run-off. Gently tip it off into a small vessel.
Now we have two more great things to do with Parmesan rinds.
Parmesan broth,* and Parmesan croutons.
Eat well & love big.
xoxo
Nancy
* This should be its own post, but here it is: Put 4 oz Parmesan rinds in a crock pot (I use a two-quart mini one for this recipe). Add aromatics (onion, carrot, celery & herbs) and cover with 6 cups of water. Cook on low for 8 hours. Strain. Use in soups for extra umami.
