Butter Masterclass
It's the moment you've been waiting for...THE butter masterclass from the man himself! You're welcome!
Ingredients
Home Made Butter
- 600ml double cream
Potted Shrimp
- 200g brown shrimp
- Pinch of mace
- 200ml clarified butter
Method
How to clarify butter
Simply pop 500g butter into a pan so it gently melts, then remove any scum.
How to make butter
- Makes between 240g to 300g butter
- And between 200ml and 275ml of buttermilk
Firstly, pour the double cream into a food mixer bowl with a whisk attachment.
Then, using a medium setting, whisk up the cream until firm peaks form (like you would achieve if making whipped cream).
Stop the machine and using a spoon or a spatula, scrape down the sides into the bottom of the bowl and keep whisking on a medium speed.
The cream will then start to go from firm peaks to a mixture that looks like it has collapsed and looks like butter. After a few minutes, stop the machine and scrape down the bowl sides once more.
Keep mixing on a medium speed and the cream will now look like firm scrambled eggs and after a few more minutes a very wet and runny looking scrambled egg.
It is important to keep going until the mix starts to separate- this is the butter forming and the buttermilk coming out. As this happens the mixer sometimes speeds up and the contents become easier to mix, so slow the speed down a little if that happens, mainly to stop it splashing out of the bowl.
Keep going until the butter forms around the whisk, then once that is achieved, stop the machine and pour the contents into a bowl with a cloth over it, or into a sieve over and bowl.
Press the butter into a ball, squeezing as much as the butter as you can and it is now ready to use.
You can taste it as is and if needed, season with sea salt or table salt to taste.
Ideas for compound butters
- Red pepper and paprika
- Wild garlic
- Potted shrimp
- Roasted garlic and parsley
- Lemon
Potted shrimp
Coat the shrimp in 75ml of clarified butter and the mace, then pop into ramekins and chill until firm.
Top with the rest of the clarified butter and chill.
Plaice with compound butter
Pan fry seasoned plaice in ½ clarified butter and ½ salted butter (about a tbsp of each) and cook for 2 minutes on each side.
Top with red pepper butter and/or wild garlic butter.
Asparagus with wild garlic butter
Cook 200g of asparagus in a splash of water and 25g of wild garlic butter for 2 to 3 minutes.
Ingredients
Home Made Butter
- 600ml double cream
Potted Shrimp
- 200g brown shrimp
- Pinch of mace
- 200ml clarified butter
Method
How to clarify butter
Simply pop 500g butter into a pan so it gently melts, then remove any scum.
How to make butter
- Makes between 240g to 300g butter
- And between 200ml and 275ml of buttermilk
Firstly, pour the double cream into a food mixer bowl with a whisk attachment.
Then, using a medium setting, whisk up the cream until firm peaks form (like you would achieve if making whipped cream).
Stop the machine and using a spoon or a spatula, scrape down the sides into the bottom of the bowl and keep whisking on a medium speed.
The cream will then start to go from firm peaks to a mixture that looks like it has collapsed and looks like butter. After a few minutes, stop the machine and scrape down the bowl sides once more.
Keep mixing on a medium speed and the cream will now look like firm scrambled eggs and after a few more minutes a very wet and runny looking scrambled egg.
It is important to keep going until the mix starts to separate- this is the butter forming and the buttermilk coming out. As this happens the mixer sometimes speeds up and the contents become easier to mix, so slow the speed down a little if that happens, mainly to stop it splashing out of the bowl.
Keep going until the butter forms around the whisk, then once that is achieved, stop the machine and pour the contents into a bowl with a cloth over it, or into a sieve over and bowl.
Press the butter into a ball, squeezing as much as the butter as you can and it is now ready to use.
You can taste it as is and if needed, season with sea salt or table salt to taste.
Ideas for compound butters
- Red pepper and paprika
- Wild garlic
- Potted shrimp
- Roasted garlic and parsley
- Lemon
Potted shrimp
Coat the shrimp in 75ml of clarified butter and the mace, then pop into ramekins and chill until firm.
Top with the rest of the clarified butter and chill.
Plaice with compound butter
Pan fry seasoned plaice in ½ clarified butter and ½ salted butter (about a tbsp of each) and cook for 2 minutes on each side.
Top with red pepper butter and/or wild garlic butter.
Asparagus with wild garlic butter
Cook 200g of asparagus in a splash of water and 25g of wild garlic butter for 2 to 3 minutes.
