Facts about butter
Some great tips and hints for enjoying butter even more

Although butter is a simple food, it can perform miracles in your kitchen. Here are a few tips and hints that are sure to make a big difference.
 

Butter, King of the Kitchen
All great chefs will tell you there is no substitute for butter when cooking meat and fish. And though it fell out of favour for a time as olive oil stormed the scene, butter is making a spectacular comeback at the best restaurants!

The reasons are quite simple:

• Butter has an incredible ability to brown food.
• Melted butter in a roasting pan can be used to baste meat during cooking, giving it a unique and delectable flavour.
• Butter has a flavour that allows it to bring out the taste of basic ingredients required in recipes.
• Clarified butter is great for cooking and doesn't burn. To make clarified butter, simply melt butter very gently in a pan and remove the milky residue produced on the surface and at the bottom of the pan.

Meat and Butter… Not Just for Cooking
Place a small knob of butter on your steak when ready to serve. As it slowly melts on the meat, butter will give it shine and flavour.

A Little Butter in Sauces Can Work Miracles
Know how to make sauces that go with meat? Here's a cooking tip that will make them even better.

Just before serving, add a knob of butter to your sauce. Emulsify by whipping vigorously. Butter will make your sauce shiny, subtle and creamy.

Roasted Poultry Needs Butter!
Here's a really simple tip for roasted chicken and turkey: Combine softened butter with rosemary, thyme, and parsley. Make small openings on the side of the bird and brush the meat under the skin with the butter. This will give the meat a mouthwatering taste and make the skin crisp. This is a tip you'll savour forever!

Use Butter to Give Soups a Lift
Like making your own soup? First step: always sweat your vegetables (cook over medium heat) with a large knob of butter before adding the liquid. This will bring out all the flavour of the vegetables.

Adding a small knob of butter to a soup before serving also makes it velvety smooth.

Give Side Dish Vegetables a Flavour Boost
Potatoes, beans, and carrots will be zestier if brushed with a blend of melted butter, parsley, fresh mint (really!), and a bit of grated ginger. Let your imagination go wild!

Beurre Manié, a Useful Cooking Shortcut
Butter is not only a great recipe companion, it can also be a very useful cooking assistant !

The sauce you're preparing to serve needs to be a little thicker and smoother? Beurre manié will do the trick. In a small bowl, mix together equal amounts of flour and butter. Thicken your hot sauce by gently whisking in the mixture, and voilà!