Butter.
Chocolate. Sugar. Pasta. Wine. Those are the five food groups, right?
I have
been intoning this like a mantra for so long, I wonder if I can even come up
with the original five. (Note: I say the original five, not the correct five. I
think vegetables, fruits, grains, and dairy were among them, but I wouldn’t bet
my life on it.)
A parcel
of butter, my favorite of the five, arrived at my door recently. I was sent
some samples of new butters that Beurre Président is releasing to the U.S. market this month, and I am
very excited to share my findings with you. (I did, indeed, receive free samples of the butter to review, but the opinions stated are my own.)
First, I must
say their packaging was stellar. As a consumer, you will probably never receive
21 ounces of butter by mail, but trust me, I have never received so beautiful,
well-packed, and chilled a package in my life. It arrived on my doorstep. In
the desert. On a 105° day. It waited there till I got home from work. And it was
perfectly fine. (Whew! The idea of wasted butter had my stomach churning…)
A bright
red, sturdy box within the corrugated brown outer box, contained myriad ice
packs, thawed but still cold, some promotional materials, party decorations,
and butter.
There
were one 7-ounce bar (salted) and two new spreadable butters in 7-ounce tubs,
one simply salted, and the other …. wait for it … sea salt! I didn’t quite swoon,
but I was pretty giddy!
The
planning started immediately… What would I do with each? I wanted the uses to
be special, but I also wanted to put them to the test. (Another disclosure: I
have been cooking with unsalted Beurre Président since I can remember. Président, to my memory, was the
first European butter available in the States. This shipment is my first salted Beurre Président.)
In the
end, each type would get its own vehicle – its own parade float, as it were.
The
salted bar was carefully worked into flour to become a slab of quick puff
pastry – rolled, cut, and baked into crescent rolls. Sublime!
The
salted spreadable butter adorned pasta, flavored simply with some sage from our
garden and a light grating of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Exquisite!
The sea
salt? I wanted this one by itself. It would be slathered (liberally) on
homemade bread. (In the
almost words of
Meghan Trainor, “It’s all about
that taste.”)
As you
may recall from my post,
Confessions of a Salt Addict, I am a salt-oholic. I really love salt. But,
oddly, I never buy salted butter, as I prefer the creamy flavor of the butter,
adding my own salt according to whim or taste.
I truly
liked these salted butters, and tasted each of them on its own before putting
each to its intended use. The trademark creaminess of Beurre Président was consistent in all
three. The bar and spreadable salted were lightly – yet perfectly – salted, and close to
identical in taste to my palate. The sea salt was strong; it actually surprised
me. I was almost concerned it was too much. (I needn’t have worried…)
The
pastry was so tender and flaky. It is perfect for a savory use; I would not use
this butter for a dessert pastry. The salted spreadable was amazing on the
pasta – its soft, velvety feel on the tongue is just what
pasta burro e salvia
requires.
The sea
salt spreadable butter on bread was perfection. The saltiness toned down, and
it made the bread taste incredibly good. Normally, I butter my bread or toast
with unsalted butter and sprinkle on my own salt, but this was not difficult to
swallow!
One of my
favorite qualities of Beurre Président is how it melts in the pan for sautéeing and searing. It doesn’t
spatter and spittle because it hasn’t been padded out with water like U.S. butters. It browns
chicken and meats beautifully, and imparts the flavor of pure cream. And for
Sole Meunière?
There is no equal.
I started
this buttery journey loving Beurre Président unsalted butter, and I have opened my arms and heart
to its salted kin. There is a time and place for each, and they are not
interchangeable. Think carefully when using salted and unsalted butters, and
how the salt will affect your final dish.
Speaking of Sole Meunière, here is my mother’s recipe. A real favorite.
~ David
Mom’s
Sole Meunière
1/2 cup all purpose flour
4 sole fillets, each about 4 ounces
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon strained fresh lemon juice
lemon wedges
sprigs of parsley
Place flour in a pie plate. Sprinkle both sides of the fish with salt (lightly) and freshly ground pepper. Dredge fish on both sides with flour, and shale off excess. place floured fillets on a platter and set aside.
Heat oil in a large, well-seasoned skillet until it is hot, and shimmers. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter; quickly swirl skillet to coat. When foam subsides, add fish and cook until golden – about 2 minutes per side. Divide fish between 2 heated plates, tent with foil, and set aside.
In a small skillet, heat remaining butter and cook until golden – about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and add parsley and lemon. The sauce may sputter. Spoon sauce over fish, and serve with lemon wedges and sprigs of parsley.
Serves 2.
(Final
disclosure: Please note that chocolate, sugar, and wine all come from plants,
therefore they are vegetables and fruits. And pasta is made from wheat which
is, duh, a grain. Need I point out that butter is a dairy product?)
Ahu Shahrabani
November 8, 2014 at 5:05 pmWow!! How giddy would I be if I came home to find butter at my doorstep (or should I say with my doorman!). What a wonderful gift and you did it proud! Those little croissant puffs are adorable. I also adore butter, in fact I usually cook with butter in stead of olive oil recently, reserving my olive oil for baking and eating fresh!!! Great post David, have a fantastic weekend.
Cocoa & Lavender
November 9, 2014 at 3:45 pmThanks, Ahu! I think I switch back and forth between butter and olive oil depending on the finished dish, but I do use a lot of butter! By the way, I only have two more weeks to go before I have homemade vanilla extract!
Provence WineZine
November 8, 2014 at 7:43 pmDitto what Ahu wrote about finding a box of butter on my porch! I wish I had been a house guest the week you experimenting. Each dish looks enticing! And, finally, so relieved you are indeed including something from the five food groups!
Cocoa & Lavender
November 9, 2014 at 3:46 pmYes, Susan, butter makes the best house guest! 🙂
Cheri Savory Spoon
November 8, 2014 at 8:35 pmHi David, wow! a box of butter, I would be giddy. Very interesting about the differences and uses for each one. Great Post!
Cocoa & Lavender
November 9, 2014 at 3:46 pmThanks, Cheri. It was a fun post to write (and eat)!
john | heneedsfood
November 8, 2014 at 9:25 pmI'm trying to figure out which one I'd be dipping into first. The sea salt, perhaps? Not that I'd be turning my nose up at the others, either!
Cocoa & Lavender
November 9, 2014 at 3:47 pmAlthough shown in opposite order, John, I did try the sea salt version first with bread I'd made that morning!
Sippity Sup
November 8, 2014 at 10:12 pmPart decorations? Are we having a butter party? If so we can test my theory at your party. I (like you) buy unsalted for predominately cooking. But when I splurge for good Euro butter than I plan to slather on (you said it) homemade bread. I always buy salted. So I'm guessing sea-salted is the cat's meow. Did I say that? GREG
Cocoa & Lavender
November 9, 2014 at 3:50 pmButter party sounds so much better than a Mazola party, doesn't it? You will love the sea salt, Greg – and, yes, you said it, and you are right.
Roseycello1066
November 9, 2014 at 12:05 pmI have recently discovered European style cultured butter from Organic Valley. Talk about a love affair!? They have 2 kinds out there (at least around here in the Albany, NY area) I can eat this right off a spoon it's so good. Can you get this where you are? I highly recommend that you try it!
Cocoa & Lavender
November 9, 2014 at 3:52 pmThanks for the tip, Cathy – I will keep my eyes open and look for Organic Valley today. Have you tried any of the Beurres Président? Yum!
Andrea_TheKitchenLioness
November 9, 2014 at 1:45 pmDavid, you certainly made wonderful things with the French butter that you received – all of them are different and all of them look amazing, the quick puff pastry rolls, the pasta as well as your mum´s sole meunière, all three are treats that I would love to taste!
Euch beiden einen schönen Sonntag,
Andrea
Cocoa & Lavender
November 9, 2014 at 3:54 pmAndrea – I had so much fun deciding what to make! Thanks for your comment! Happy to tell you that we made our reservations for our trip to Germany in June/July. Our first quick visit will be to come to Bonn and have cocoa and pastries with you! I will message you to see if you can recommend a B&B or hotel for us for the one night! We will then either fly or train to Salzburg! We are already so excited to meet you in person! xox
Culinary Cory
November 9, 2014 at 1:45 pmHigh-quality butter slathered on a slice of crusty bread is a huge weakness of mine. If I don't keep myself in check, that's all I end up eating for dinner. BTW: Love the final disclosure. You're absolutely right…butter is dairy. 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
November 9, 2014 at 3:55 pmBread and butter is also a big weekness for me. I am embarrassed to say how much I used!! Hae a great weekend, Cory!
Nicole (RieglPalate.com)
November 9, 2014 at 1:46 pmOh, we call European butter "good butter" in our house! I still recall the first time we had Vermont Creamery's European style salted butter – heaven and we couldn't get enough of it. What a special treat to arrive home to this package.
Cocoa & Lavender
November 9, 2014 at 3:57 pmWe used 'good butter' for the holidays when my mother or actual butter instead of margarine. It now takes on a similar meaning for us and the European butters!
Anonymous
November 9, 2014 at 2:03 pmAren't you lucky! Butter is definitely a food group in my home, having been raised by a French mother! I've never purchased salted butter either, but your descriptions are great. Very tempting!
Cocoa & Lavender
November 9, 2014 at 3:58 pmMimi – I think YOU were lucky to have a French mother and that you always had good butter in your house!
Unknown
November 9, 2014 at 4:09 pmOh if someone sent me a box of butters, I'd be as giddy as a schoolgirl too! Now, as far as the food groups go, I'd only change out the wine with coffee:). Otherwise, you're spot on.
There isn't anything that butter can't make perfect! I love unsalted butter because I'm not a salt addict like you, but I must have salt and can tell immediately when it's missing. But like you said, unsalted and salted butter have their uses. I'll take either butter!
Those rolls look amazing!!! And the sole… Goodness! That's my favourite way to prepare sole. Yummy! Have a great Sunday my dear David. xx
Cocoa & Lavender
November 10, 2014 at 2:25 pmThanks, Nazneen! I am glad you enjoyed the post – I love the sole, too, and it really reminds me of my mother. xo
Karin
November 9, 2014 at 4:30 pmAll I can think of is the scene in Julie and Julia, where Meryl (as Julia) has her first Sole Meunière, and utters…"Butter". Butter tester as a job? You LUCKY BOY!!!
Cocoa & Lavender
November 10, 2014 at 2:26 pmI almost included that scene in the post, Karin! She was probably used to some oleo before that…. just like me!
Anonymous
November 9, 2014 at 7:06 pmOh, gee, how I love butter, too! They tell me that when I was about two I crawled up onto the kitchen table and was busily squashing butter into my mouth when I was discovered. Then there is the story of my son when he was two years old. He talked quite a bit for a two year old and so one day he said,
"Mama, I don't need any more bread with my butter."
Also….did you know what Andreas Viestadt of Scandinavian Cooking show said? He said "Butter is Norwegian oil." I love that.
I have been buying "Kerry Gold" from Costco but I am going to look for President butter, too.
Cocoa & Lavender
November 10, 2014 at 2:28 pmI love the Kerrygold, too – I hope you find the Président there so you can try and compare! … I have to say that I think I would get along well wit your son. I only use the bread to carry the butter. 🙂
Lizzy (Good Things)
November 9, 2014 at 8:54 pmIs there anything better than good butter? I think not! How wonderful that the product was so well packed. Loved what you'd did to celebrate… I'd have a party too! : D
Cocoa & Lavender
November 10, 2014 at 2:29 pmLiz, I wish I had photographed the package but, for me, it was as if I was 3 years old on Christmas morning. I wanted to get to the present – who cared about the wrapping??
laurasmess
November 10, 2014 at 4:30 amLOVE this philosophy David!!! You definitely speak my language (particularly in relation to the butter!). What a gorgeous recipe… I can't wait to make this gorgeous fish now that I am back in my own kitchen! Sorry about getting so behind on my blog reading, we still don't have internet at home so I am relying on my phone and cafes. Never mind… I will have a very good read soon! Hope that you two dashing gents have been well! x
Cocoa & Lavender
November 10, 2014 at 2:30 pmThanks, Laura! It is nice to have you back a – and I hope you collected a lot of good recipes while you were traveling!
Christina | Christina's Cucina
November 10, 2014 at 5:00 amNow YOU are the lucky one! All that gorgeous butter delivered to your doorstep? I'm green!
My mother and I always argue over salted vs. unsalted butter. As she grew up in Italy, she prefers unsalted, but I tell her that the salted has so much more flavor because salt obviously brings out the flavor, but I think she likes what she grew up with and the unsalted reminds her of Italy, so who can blame her. Lovely dishes of food you made, but I don't know if I could bring myself to bake with that butter…I'd treat it like gold! 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
November 10, 2014 at 2:31 pmI agree that salt brings out the flavor, but (having major control issues – just ask Mark) I want to add the salt when I want and control the quantity. That said, I still never say no to butter, salted or unsalted!
Christina | Christina's Cucina
November 10, 2014 at 5:01 amBtw, I didn't see a problem with those 5 food groups!
Cocoa & Lavender
November 10, 2014 at 2:32 pmKnowing my readers, I had a feeling there would be some solidarity on this front, Christina!
Unknown
November 10, 2014 at 6:11 amWow, David! Fabulous post! Will you be sharing your puff pastry recipe? This is the best butter I've ever tasted – and I love all the uses you put it to.
Cocoa & Lavender
November 10, 2014 at 2:33 pmSusan, the puff pastry recipe will be posted in late December when I present my Galette des Rois. I hope o can wait! 🙂
Anonymous
November 10, 2014 at 10:17 amHaha I love your 5 food groups and I agree with your thoughts on butter – everything tastes better with butter 🙂 I will keep checking my doorstep maybe one day a beautiful box of butter will appear. Have a great week!
Cocoa & Lavender
November 10, 2014 at 2:34 pmI hope the butter arrives, Karen! Tell me about Australiam butter – what is it like?
Kathy
November 12, 2014 at 12:11 amI would definitely be giddy if that butter arrived on my doorstep! Now I need to start looking for the butter with sea salt…omgosh! Sounds divine! Your puff pastry looks perfect!! Have you shared your quick puff pastry recipe…I would love to try it! Have a great week, David! Fun post!
Cocoa & Lavender
November 13, 2014 at 1:42 pmThanks, Kathy! I am planning to share the puff pastry recipe in late Decemer when I make a Galette des Rois. In fact, I just purchased some ceramic fèves from France to put inside the galette!
Anonymous
November 12, 2014 at 4:24 pmMeunière is very popular dish too here in Indonesia, but we used to use snapper on it….
i guess my fave food was chili peppers….
Cocoa & Lavender
November 13, 2014 at 1:44 pmI would love to see what your other "food groups" would be in addition to chile peppers, Dedy! I can't imagine meunière with snapper, but if you say it's good, I trust you!
Karen (Back Road Journal)
November 12, 2014 at 10:47 pmIt sounds like you made very good use of your butter gift. You must have had a smile on your face for a week…all of your uses sound perfect.
Cocoa & Lavender
November 13, 2014 at 1:45 pmYes, Karen, I think I was smiling a lot all week! Glad you are able to post you (very nice) comments!
Anonymous
November 13, 2014 at 2:05 pmoh we nodded our heads agreeing with the first four food groups…add fruits and we too can hardly think of the original fives…and what gorgeous treats you have made,they will make anyone hungry for some and some more…thanks 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
November 13, 2014 at 2:27 pmThanks, Rakesh and Swikruti! I love how everyone has their own special five food groups! Hope you are having a good week.
Sofia Clara
November 14, 2014 at 5:29 pmbutter everywhere! 🙂 <3
Cocoa & Lavender
November 14, 2014 at 5:33 pmI know, Sofia – isn't it wonderful?
Yasmeen
November 23, 2014 at 10:15 pmYour little crescents are just gorgeous! I can see all the beautiful flaky layers and crannies thanks to the fresh butter. What a package to receive.
Cocoa & Lavender
November 24, 2014 at 3:53 pmIt is plain and simple, Yasmeen – butter is good!