Garlic rolls

Delicious to serve as nibbles with an aperitif but you can also serve them with soup. These can be made a day or two ahead and kept in the fridge (or even frozen). You’ll need a small plastic box and a rolling pin. This is of course NOT the bread we eat in France but it is popular all over the world for sandwiches. This bread often has preservatives to keep it ‘fresh’ (read spongy!) but that’s perfect for this recipe, especially when it’s 3 days old.

     1/2 loaf of sliced white bread, 2-3 days old (the kind used for sandwiches)
     150g butter
     3-4 garlic cloves, crushed
     handful of chopped parsley or tarragon (or a mixture of these)

Start by making the garlic butter: allow the butter to soften, then simply stir in the crushed garlic and herbs. Set aside.

Cut the crusts off the bread and on a flat surface, roll one slice at a time to 2 mm thin. Spread generously with garlic butter and roll up tightly. Now press these rolls into a tight-fitting small plastic box to keep its shape. Continue with the other slices then refrigerate until needed. Just before serving, grill briefly, turning a few times, until they’re crisp on the outside and all gooey and buttery inside.