Homemade Butter!

While working out yesterday I ran into this fantastic recipe for homemade butter in the The New York Times Magazine. Mr.S LOVES a little slab of cold butter on warm bread. So I thought I would try it out to see if we can taste the difference (which I'm sure we will). It's been so hot these past couple of days that I didn't think I should make it because the temperature might effect the consistency. But now that it is cooler today I am going to give it a go. Yum...I might bake some fresh baguettes to go with it as well..oh..damn that recipe book is packed. Just butter then. Enjoy!

UPDATE: Holy Crap is that butter good. It melts on contact with warm bread and taste so golden. But the article was right. Pretty soon you want to buy really good bread to go with it. You need to try this. I think I am going to keep doing this so I have it on hand for bread. Its expensive to make but worth it. Butter will become precious to you, which is probably good considering its not great for your heart.

Ingredients:
6 cups organic heavy cream
1 pinch Salt (optional)

1. Pour the cream into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk. Tightly cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap and start mixer on medium-high speed. The cream will go through the whipped stage, get fuller and then change color from off-white to pale yellow. (5-8minutes)

2. When it starts looking pebbly, its almost done. After another minute the butter will seperate from the liquid and start splashing the plastic wrap. Now stop the mixer.

3. Set stainer over a bowl. Pour contents of mixer into stainer and let the liquid (buttermilk) drain through. Grab another small bowl and strain the buttermilk again through a fine-mesh sieve; set aside.


4. Keeping the butter in the first strainer, knead it to consolidate the remaining liquid and fat and expel the rest of the buttermilk into the bowl. Knead until the texture is dense and creamy (5mins.) Refrigerate the buttermilk from both bowls.

5. Mix salt into the butter, if you want. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate. Makes about 2cups of butter and buttermilk. Also try folding in chopped smoked salmon or dill. You will be suprised at how great smoked salmon butter is. Photos to come later today.


This recipe is by Daniel Patterson, chef and owner Coi in San Franciso. This restaurant looks amazing! Too bad I missed this on my way through San Franciso, alas another time.