It's Better with Butter
In a world of uncertainty, where hurricanes rip up our roots and world leadership seems to hang from a thread, there is one sure constant: It’s better with butter!
Most food fanatics are familiar with the three key ingredients to French cooking: butter, butter, and butter. Julia Child is known for her love and liberal use of this elemental ingredient, and there is a Norwegian proverb which says, “Cookies are made of butter and love.” But most of all it is the backbone of much of our cuisine, the world around.
The health conscious may balk at the suggestion that butter is a friendly ingredient. However, a little can go a long way to bringing richness to a dish, and it is far better to indulge in a little butter now and then—and even daily—than it is to consume a bag of chips saturated in unidentifiable fats or to eat store-bought cookies or crackers, or even a hot dog. Butter by itself is a pure ingredient, and in respectful moderation can bolster you up, no matter your weight or your constitution.
If you’ve never made your own butter, you can do so simply by pouring some heavy cream into a jar, and shaking the jar until grains appear. The process can be sped up by whipping the cream into Chantilly, and then continuing until it becomes butter. When agitated enough, the grains of fat join each other, and when you have enough of a mass, you can strain the ensemble (the liquid strained out is buttermilk), and mash the obtained butter with a spoon until it becomes homogenous. At this point you can rinse the butter with cold water to squeeze out a bit more of the buttermilk and give it longer shelf life, and you can salt it before storing, which squeezes out the extra water.
Spoon into a mold or into a jar, and refrigerate until use. Try to use up within 2 weeks if unsalted, and within a month if salted, which increases its shelf life. Be aware of association, as butter absorbs the aromas of whatever is around it. Thus, keep it well wrapped if storing in the refrigerator for any length of time, unless, of course, you are storing it with truffles!
Here are a few of a multitude of recipes which could not exist without our beloved staple. Some, such as the radish and beet recipes might have to wait until springtime, depending on your market source, but as soon as they are at the ready, you know what to do with them. The beurre blanc and shortbread are good at any time of the year.
It's Better with Butter
Radis au Beurre (Radishes with Butter)
The French have a penchant for the simplicity of radishes, fresh dug from the garden, dipped in salt and served with a sliver of butter for each radish. There is something about the burn of the radish coupled with the softness of the butter and the tanginess of the salt that satiates the palate. As an appetizer, with a few slices of fresh baguette at the elbow, this ensemble is both healthy and refreshing.
Ingredients:
- Fresh radishes, preferably breakfast radishes, with red tops and white tips and a slender body
- Fresh farm butter (this is a good time to try making your own!)
- Sea salt
Preparation:
Wash and top the radishes, or leave the tops for presentation if you wish. (You can also save the radish tops and toss them in a soup.) Set butter on the table in an attractive dish with a butter knife, and place a salt dish with a small serving spoon beside it. Let guests serve themselves as they wish.
It's Better with Butter
Beets with Bourbon, Bacon & Butter
I was once asked to expound upon the one culinary trend I wished would recede from immediate popularity. My answer at the time was the abundance of beets in Asheville restaurants. Having grown up with beets, and having found them to taste mainly like dirt, I was not intrigued by the various recipes coming out of the most notable kitchens, no matter how inventive or how basic they might seem. But, as most around me had not grown up with the taste of dirt in their mouths, I came up with a recipe which renders the beet almost palatable, and uses three of my favorite ingredients: butter, bacon, and booze!
Ingredients:
- Little baby fresh-dug beets (the sweetest and tenderest)
- Several strips of bacon (you can omit the bacon if you’re of vegetarian persuasion)
- Fresh thyme
- A few tablespoons of bourbon
- A few tablespoons of butter
Preparation:
Clean and boil the beets, saving their tops—if fresh—to steam and serve with butter, of course. Squeeze the beets out of their outer skin, and drop to soak in a few tablespoons of heated bourbon. Wrap individually in one layer of bacon and set in a buttered dish. (Drink the remaining bourbon.) Sprinkle with fresh thyme, a bit of large grain salt and a grating of fresh pepper, and drizzle all over with melted butter.
Bake until bacon is crispy and serve with the juices spooned over top.
Note: If you can’t find baby beets, you can cut larger beets into quarters or eighths after cooking.
Beurre blanc
One of the most decadently delicious sauces I know, there is almost nothing in the savory category that is not better with a bit of beurre blanc, particularly delicate ingredients such as fish and spring vegetables, or even steamed new potatoes.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound butter, cubed
- ¼ cup white wine
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar or vermouth
- A few sprigs basil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon minced shallots
- Salt and white pepper, to taste
Preparation:
Boil the liquids, shallots and seasonings until they have reduced to about 1½ tablespoons. Remove from heat and immediately beat in a few pieces of chilled butter. Gradually beat in the rest of the butter to taste, and serve immediately, drizzled on or around fish or whatever is the star of your plate.
Shortbread
For all of us who, along with Julia Child, love butter, butter, and butter, this recipe is made to satiate those fat-craving taste buds. Scottish shortbread demands only three ingredients, plus a little bit of salt…and love, of course.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup butter, softened
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour (or rice flour)
- ¼ teaspoon large grain salt
Preparation:
Cream your softened butter with confectioners’ sugar (sifted to make sure no lumps remain). Gradually add the sifted flour and stir in the large grain salt. Heat your oven to 325°F and pat your dough into a baking dish until it is an even ¼-inch thick. Pierce with fork every ¼–½ inch. Bake until just barely light brown on the surface (about 25 minutes) and remove to cool. Before entirely set, cut in inch-wide finger lengths. When entirely cool, remove to a platter or cookie tin. Serve with tea or port to compound the warmth the butter brings.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Susi Gott Séguret, CCP, CSW, hails from the depths of Appalachia in Madison County, North Carolina, but honed her culinary skills in France, where she resided for over 20 years, earning a diploma in Gastronomy and Taste from the Cordon Bleu and the Université de Reims. Author of several cookbooks including Appalachian Appetite, and Cooking with Truffles, Susi orchestrates multiple sensory experiences including the Seasonal School of Culinary Arts, the Asheville Truffle Experience, and the Appalachian Culinary Experience. Passionate about elements of taste and style, and how they extend from our palate into our daily lives, Susi strives to blend food, music, words and images into a tapestry for the senses. For more details, visit quintessentialtable.com.