Flavoured herb butter is one of the easiest possible ways to add delicious flavour to everything from blanched seasonal veggies to seared steak, grilled lamb chops and line fish, or even to pep up your sandwiches. Stir a dollop into mashed potatoes or cauliflower mash (banters, take note) for a scrumptious side dish.
IT’S EASY-PEASY
Once you’ve discovered how easy it is to make your own herb butter, you’ll never again settle for expensive shop-bought versions. In a nutshell, all you need is good quality softened butter, finely chopped fresh flavourings of your choice – try fragrant combinations of herbs, spices, citrus zest, chillies, whatever takes your fancy – and a little grind of salt and pepper. We really do recommend you use fresh herbs, chillies and garlic – these will give you remarkable flavour without the nasty aftertaste you can get from garlic or chilli that has been bottled and preserved, while dried herbs have far less flavour and a dry texture.
FLAVOUR SENSATIONS
You can’t go wrong with our three easy recipes for flavoured butters, which include a fiery sriracha butter, garlic and chive butter and a fragrant herb butter containing chopped parsley, rosemary needles and fresh thyme. However, making herb butters is a perfect opportunity to get adventurous and experiment with your favourite flavours. Here are a few more combinations that may inspire you:
If you have your own favourite recipe, we’d love you to share it with us in the Comments section below.
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HOW TO… Allow the butter to come to room temperature. Put it in a large mixing bowl and beat it with a wooden spoon or handheld beater until it is soft and creamy. Prepare your chosen flavourings, bearing the following in mind: Add your flavourings to the butter in the bowl, being guided by the quantities suggested above but – and this is the important part – you must taste the butter as you work and adjust quantities to suit your palate. Work the flavourings into the butter with the wooden spoon or beater. Season delicately with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the flavourings until you are perfectly satisfied. Press the herb butter into a stoneware ramekin and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow it to firm up before serving. |
QUEEN OF THE FREEZER
Flavoured butters freeze really successfully and are a great stop-gap to keep in the freezer to add a bit of glamour and delicious fresh flavours to even the most mundane midweek dinner. To do this, simply roll the butter into a sausage shape, wrap it in clingfilm or baking paper and twist the ends firmly to seal. When you want to use some, simply slice a disc off the end with a sharp knife.
Tip Make up small batches of a range of flavoured butters and you can then vary the flavour combinations for different dishes.
SWEET INSPIRATION
Did you know you can also make sweet flavoured butters? These are delicious lavished on pancakes, waffles, French toast, flapjacks, scones warm from the oven, or even on a slice of hot wholewheat toast for an emergency teatime treat. The options are endless, but here are a few taste sensations to get you going: sticky brown sugar and cinnamon butter; lemon and cinnamon butter; honey and orange zest butter; spicy ginger and nutmeg butter; vanilla butter…
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
If you’re feeding a crowd, use our elegant stoneware butter dish, which keeps butter fresh from the fridge to the table or work surface.
Our butter crock is a genius solution for South Africa’s hot climate, keeping butter both fresh and spreadable. You simply pack butter firmly into the deep bowl in the crock’s lid and pour a little cold water into the base until it reaches the fill line. Pop the lid face down onto the base chamber. The water forms an airtight seal that keeps the butter fresh and full of flavour, and – because you keep it on your countertop at room temperature – the butter stays perfectly spreadable.
To view our full range of products, visit our online shop at www.lecreuset.co.za or pop into your nearest Le Creuset Boutique store.
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