At home, I like making rustic croutons by tearing bread into bite-size pieces. I want ragged edges—they taste great when cooked and crisped. Croutons are best fresh and take only minutes to make.

Ingredients

　　1 small loaf good sourdough bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces

　　Extra-virgin olive oil

　　If broiling, arrange the broiler rack 4 inches from the heat source and preheat the broiler. Put the bread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle generously with oil. Broil until golden brown and crisp, about 2 minutes. Begin checking at 1 minute and stir or turn to brown evenly. If sautéing, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat the bottom of the skillet with oil and add the bread. Cook, tossing occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

　　Reprinted with permission from Home Cooking with Jean-Georges: My Favorite Simple Recipes by Jean-Georges Vongerichten with Genevieve Ko. Copyright © 2011 by Jean-Georges Vongerichten; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Jean-Georges Vongerichten is one of the most influential chefs in the world, having single-handedly redefined haute French cuisine, lightening and refining it by adding select Asian accents. He is the chef-owner of dozens of restaurants in fourteen cities around the world. His flagship restaurant, Jean Georges, at New York's Columbus Circle, is one of six restaurants in the United States to have been awarded three coveted Michelin stars; it received four stars from the New York Times. The winner of multiple James Beard Foundation awards, he lives in New York City and Waccabuc, New York, with his family.Genevieve Ko is a cookbook author and the senior food editor at Good Housekeeping magazine. She has written for Martha Stewart Living, Gourmet, and Fine Cooking and lives in New York City with her family.