Tasting

Butter as inspiration for chefs

More than 95% of chefs in France and Europe say that butter is essential for cooking and baking, especially for its flavor. Fragrant, textured, creamy butters... In the kitchen, it tells a story, it leads the way. New uses have emerged, disrupting classic recipes and defining future trends. A flurry of ideas invades the kitchen and new "creations" dance across tables everywhere. Its malleable texture enables it to create audacious fantasies. This is why it is now widely used in cutting edge and refined dishes... But, above all, this aroma capturer has tickled the imagination of the Chefs, who create unusual, sophisticated recipes to surprise audiences of insiders becoming increasingly numerous and demanding. This product is more than just an ingredient, it is a flavor enhancer. Used both in elaborate kitchens and simple recipes, the face of butter has changed. No-one hesitates to put it out on the table, to highlight it as a noble product. Indispensable to new culinary trends, butter is a source of inspiration that never grows old.

See the chiefs' tips

Tips & tricks

Secret for using butter

To make it easier to spread, remove the butter from the fridge and leave it at room temperature for at least 1 hour and 15 minutes.
To quickly soften butter which is too cold, just cut it into pieces, wrap it in a damp cotton cloth and knead it for a few seconds.
If the butter has absorbed smells in the fridge, an ice water bath will give it a second youth. Just dry it afterwards. This can be done as many times as necessary.
Butter can be frozen for one to two months.

Secret techniques

To make a butter sauce, the butter must always be incorporated by whisking it off the heat.
Calm down crackling in the the pan by adding a pinch of salt before melting the butter, then a pinch of flour when it is melting.
To prevent the formation of a skin on the surface of bechamel sauce, coat it with a little melted butter.

Secrets of flavor

Mix some unsalted butter with a little horseradish or wasabi from a tube, melt gently and serve with grilled meat.
Replace the oil in a dressing with melted butter, perfect on steamed baby vegetables.
Cover a fillet of sole with melted unsalted butter mixed with hazelnut powder.
Mix some unsalted butter with a piece of Camembert, add toasted almonds. Spread on lightly grilled croutons. Serve as an aperitif.
Butter sauce with salted butter: melt the butter over a low heat. Using a whisk, mix in the juice of a lemon over a low heat. This sauce is perfect to accompany pasta.

Tips for cooking

Softened butter
Work a pat of roomtemperature butter using a spatula, knead it and tame it until the butter is soft as a cream, a truly gourmet cream.

Clarified butter
The butter can be heated, melted or lightly toasted, but it should not be overcooked. Above 120° C it will start to darken. This chemical phenomenon is due to caramelisation of carbohydrates and proteins it contains. To avoid this alteration it just needs to be clarified. The butter is melted over a very low heat. The creamy whey remains on the surface and is carefully skimmed off. Clarified butter can withstand much higher temperatures and is indispensable for making butter sauces such as Hollandaise sauce. It can be kept in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Knob of butter and brown butter
The first is a popular unit of measurement, a way of expressing the small amount of butter – often close to 5 g – needed for cooking or couring food. The second is an expression of the moment of grace when the butter is heated to 165° C and releases its toasty fragrances.

Whisk in the butter
The small cold butter cubes are dropped into meat juices. The cook holds the pan by the handle and starts stirring in tight rotations, fast and with a regular rhythm to reach a perfect osmosis, a creamy texture, an ascent to culinary Nirvana.

Onions softened in butter
Allow the firm sliced onions to mingle with the butter in the pan. They gradually become translucent and succumb to the effects of caramelisation…