Butter

Butter. God we love it. What is better than crusty, hot fresh bread with good quality butter and some sea salt. It is a staple in our cooking and in small amounts is totally fine – obviously if you eat a packet a day you will see the effects on our waste line – its maths, but in moderation then you will be fine. And what you want is good quality, grass-fed butter – our favourite is Ivy House Farm (available from Neal’s Yard Dairy, Selfridges, La Fromagerie to name a few as well as online). We actually visited the family run farm last year, where we saw the milk, cream and butter being made. We fully support small British farmers, and try our hardest to buy grass-fed, free-range milk and butter. You wouldn’t think it but butter is actually really easy to make, you can whizz it up at home in about 5 mins, and you don’t need specialist equipment. All you need to do is over beat cream – just poor it into a food processor and turn it on for about 5 minutes – till it starts to separate. You want to pour the liquid out, this is buttermilk which you can use to make muffins, pancakes or soda bread, and the remaining solid is butter, wrap it up and keep it in the fridge. We often make flavoured butter, which is a great way for jazzing up boring veggies, roasting with chicken or fish or simple serving with some bread and cheese. Sky Gyngel1 does a lovely apricot one that is perfect slathered on a piece of brown toast, and Jamie Oliver does a fun Christmas one with cranberries, rosemary and clementine’s (nice to use on your chicken at other times of the year too!) Below are our favourites of the moment, take them as you please, swap things in swap things out or make up a totally new one.

INGREDIENTS

    Parmesan and Pistachio 
    150g unsalted butter 
    30g grated parmesan 
    1 shallot, finely chopped 
    40g pistachios, chopped 
    pinch cayenne pepper 
    1 tbsp parsley, chopped 
    sea salt and black pepper 

    Mustard and Tarragon 
    150g unsalted butter 
    2 tbsp Dijon mustard 
    bunch tarragon finely chopped  
    Sea salt and black pepper 

    Chilli and Lime 
    150g butter
    1 clove garlic, finely chopped 
    2 tbsp coriander, chopped 
    5 spring onions, chopped 
    2 red chillis, deseeded and chopped 
    zest of 1 lime 
    Sea salt and black pepper 

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine all ingredients. Wrap and keep in the fridge for a week or so.