Basic Butter
Two ingredients, a few minutes and a Thermomix, inspired by a trip to the butter capital of France.
I can't quite believe I've never put up a straight butter recipe, given how much of it goes through my kitchen. But I'm heading to Saint-Malo for a foodie trip, right in the heart of Brittany, where salted butter is practically a religion. It seemed only right to finally fix that before I go. Making your own is ridiculously satisfying: cream goes in, the Thermomix whips it past the point of no return, it splits, and suddenly you're holding a golden lump of butter and a jug of real buttermilk. It tastes cleaner and fresher than anything in foil, you decide exactly how much salt goes in (the Bretons would say plenty), and it's the perfect excuse to buy good cream. Fair warning: it's addictive. You'll start eyeing every cream special at the shops. I'll report back on whether mine stands up to the real thing.
Serving Suggestions
Thick slices of fresh sourdough or warm crusty bread, finished with a sprinkle of flaky salt
Spread generously on hot scones with jam
Melted over steamed corn or new potatoes
Rolled into a log with garlic and parsley, herbs and lemon zest, or honey and cinnamon for compound butter
Wrapped in baking paper with a tag as a homemade gift
Do as the Bretons do and slather it thickly on a buckwheat galette
Don't waste the buttermilk: use it in scones, pancakes, soda bread or a fried chicken marinade
Need
- 600 Grams cream cold BUY
- 1 Litre ice cold water
- generous Pinches pink salt flakes BUY
Do
- 1
Place cream into a COLD mixing bowl with butterfly attached. Whip speed 4 until separation occurs. Drain off the buttermilk after you have separation. This may take up to a few minutes depending on the freshness of the cream. Remove the butterfly.
- 2
Transfer the butter into the simmering basket and insert into the mixing bowl.
- 3
Pour over iced water to just cover the base of the simmering basket. Rinse or wash the butter by running the blades for a few sec/speed 8-9 and hit reverse a couple of times. Drain off the water and press out the butter by hand, squeezing out as much liquid as possible.
- 4
Press into a butter bell or jar of your choice, or roll into a piece of parchment paper and use in great lashings! (add salt to taste if you wish.)
Tenina Holder is a wife, mother of five and grandmother of nine, who started cooking in the olden days before Thermomix was even a thing.
Tenina has become the premium go to source for all Thermomix expertise and of course fresh and easy recipes that work. Her cooking classes and foodie trips are sold out in literally hours, her cookbooks appear on the Australian best seller lists and her social reach is in the millions. Her Insider Club is the most fun you can have with a Thermomix and you really should join her! She believes chocolate, butter and salt are health foods. Her food positivity mantra is, eat everything, just not all at once!
