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Anna Olson is serious about butter. In fact, the Niagara, Ont.-based pastry chef and TV personality currently has five different types in her fridge: one for cooking, one for baking and three artisanal offerings just for eating (usually spread over some bread).
“I don’t have a script when I do my shows, and my TV producer once said if they put a pound of butter in front of me, they know I’ll start talking,” says Olson, known for Food Network shows like “Bake with Anna Olson,” and for her award-winning cookbooks (“Baking Day with Anna Olson” just took home a gold at the 2021 Taste Canada Awards).
The ingredient is such “a cornerstone to delicious and gratifying end results,” says Olson. “And there’s this ethereal aspect of butter — it’s there, but then it’s gone, so you have to appreciate it in the moment.” Olson shares a few techniques you can use to make the staple even more delightful.
“Making compound butter is one of the earliest techniques you learn in cooking school because it’s a sauce without being a sauce,” says Olson. “They are intended to be melted into, stuffed or used in cooking to add a beautiful mouth feel and work in subtle flavour.” And, she adds, making your own compound (a.k.a. flavoured) butter is “just so ridiculously easy.”
Dice your butter into half-inch cubes and allow it to soften on your counter for half an hour. Don’t soften it using a microwave as the results will be uneven, cautions Olson. From there, cream the butter (you can do this by hand), add in your desired ingredients (chopped ahead of time) and mix until well incorporated and smooth.
Then shape your butter mixture into a log, enclose it in parchment paper or plastic wrap, and let it set in your fridge until it firms up, for about an hour. Now, it’s ready to use however you’d like: spread on toast, melted over a lean cut of meat like beef tenderloin, or added to veggies.
As for flavour combinations, the options are endless, says Olson. Mix in shallots and parsley, and you have a classic hotel butter; add garlic to that and you have the perfect filling for a chicken Kiev. For intense umami, try making a truffle butter, or incorporate a blend of Frank’s RedHot sauce with blue cheese for a chicken wing-inspired flavour. You can go sweet, too: honey or lavender butters taste great on a scone, Olson adds.
When butter has been browned — cooked until the milk solids have been caramelized — it transforms completely, taking on a bold, nutty flavour. It can be used on its own as a sauce (what the French call beurre noisette) drizzled over, say, poached leeks, or as an ingredient to add depth and complexity to sweets like chocolate chip cookies or cake glazes.
Making it is simple, but pay attention: your butter can go from “browned” to “burnt” very quickly, says Olson. She recommends starting with a stainless-steel pan so it’s easier to see it evolve. Place your butter in the pan on medium-high heat, letting it melt and cook down, stirring occasionally. Within a few minutes, the butter will start to foam and the liquid will turn amber. You’ll know you’re done when you see tiny specks of chestnut-brown bits (the milk solids).
Use the sauce as you like, but Olson recommends not adding it to anything cold so it doesn’t congeal. “Look at brown butter as a flavour builder,” she says. “Almost treat it like you would a spice or herb, because it adds dimension. If your dish has another big, strong flavour — like rosemary or tomato — you wouldn’t use brown butter because it would just get lost. You want the effort of the brown butter to be the singular flavour.”
To take her butter up a slightly more decadent notch, Olson enjoys a good Hollandaise sauce (or a derivative like Béarnaise). The process is a bit more involved: whisk 3 large egg yolks and about 3 tbsps (45 mL) of lemon juice (or vinegar) in a metal bowl placed over a saucepan with gently simmering water (you can also use a double boiler). Whisk until your mixture seems to double, then pull it off the heat and slowly pour in 1 cup (250 mL) of melted butter, continuing to whisk. Finish with salt and pepper to taste.
Of course, you can go the classic route and use your Hollandaise sauce for eggs Benedict, but Olson also loves whipping some up for scallops, or adding a bit of horseradish to the mixture to pour over roast beef. “It stays aerated and fluffy,” she says, adding that it’s all about delivering that rich butter flavour in a lighter way.
Three not-so-basic spreads to try.
For a classic French option
Isigny Sainte-Mère butter is beloved for its smooth, full flavour, which it gets from its namesake region’s dairy. Rich in mineral salt thanks to the Normandy terroir, the cream rests for up to 18 hours before it’s churned.
Isigny Sainte-Mère beurre d’Isigny AOP French butter, $21, goodcheese.ca
This creamy, salted cultured butter is inspired by French tradition, but made in Quebec by Maison Riviera using dairy from the Lac Saint-Pierre Valley. It also comes in a retro-style glass ramekin you can reuse in your kitchen.
Maison Riviera salted cultured butter, $6, shoptoronto.eataly.ca
Toronto’s Culcherd is known for delicious plant-based alternatives to dairy cheeses. It also offers a range of alt-butter, including this one made with coconut oil and cashews, garlic powder and parsley, which would taste great spread over toast.
Culcherd plant-based garlic butter, $9, shop.abovefood.com
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