Butter

Butter is a soft, fatty dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk. It may be used as a spread for biscuits, breads and cakes, a topping to enhance the flavour of vegetables, a fat for frying or sautéing, or as an ingredient for breads, cakes, entrees, sauces and other recipes.

Most British, New Zealand and American butters tend to be fresh cream butter, made up of unripened cream that has been pasteurized, deodorized, cooled and placed in ageing tanks for at least 12 hours before being turned into butter. Ripened (or lactic) butter is produced by adding lactic bacteria to the cream and allowing it to ripen and develop a slightly acid flavour before making into butter. This produces a butter with a softer texture and a more pronounced buttery taste.

Fresh cream butter is available in two main varieties: salted and unsalted. Salting improves the keeping qualities of butter, and so salted varieties will keep far longer before going rancid: 5 weeks in the fridge compared to only 3 weeks for unsalted. However, unsalted butter has a far sweeter and more delicate flavour and is the best choice when making cakes and sweets. It is also better to use unsalted butter when frying, as the deposits in salted butter tend to burn at a fairly low temperature. The addition of a little oil can raise the smoke point of butter to prevent it from burning when frying; alternatively you can use clarified butter or ghee - melted butter from which all the milk solids have been removed.

When buying butter, it is always best to choose a high quality brand, as cheaper versions tend to have an overpowering flavour that can spoil the taste of delicate sauces and fresh vegetables. To avoid the butter becoming rancid, buy little and often and keep it in the refrigerator when not in use, well-wrapped and away from strong-smelling foods such as strawberries and garlic. If you don't use butter all that often, you may find it more convenient to keep it in the freezer, where it can remain frozen without any ill-effects for about six months. It can easily be softened for use by leaving at room temperature to thaw, or by popping it into the microwave on low power for 30-60 seconds.

Butter is excellent for blending with other ingredients to make delicious garnishes and accompaniments; for example, mixed with anchovies and lobster coral to add to fish; with garlic to coat piping hot snails; or with Roquefort cheese for steak. There are also a number of excellent butter sauces, such as:

• Beurre Blanc
  A rich, hot butter sauce made with a vinegar or white wine and shallot reduction to which cold butter is blended in off the heat to prevent separation.
• Beurre Noir
  Melted butter cooked over low heat until the milk solids turn a very dark brown. Once cooked, lemon juice or vinegar is added.
• Beurre Noisette
  Unsalted butter melted over low heat and allowed to separate into butterfat and milk solids. The milk solids sink to the bottom of the pan and begin to brown to a toasty hazelnut colour.
• Hollandaise Sauce
  A smooth and creamy emulsion of egg yolk, melted butter and lemon juice.
• Béarnaise Sauce
  Similar to Hollandaise sauce, using vinegar and tarragon rather than lemon juice.