Cultured butter

Makes 500g Sauces and accompaniments

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Method

In a large and spotlessly clean bowl, mix together your cream and starter (sour cream, crème fraîche or yoghurt), stirring well to make sure the starter is fully incorporated. Cover the bowl with muslin and leave at room temperature for 20 hours. When the time is up, replace the muslin with cling film and chill for a further 20 hours.

Remove the cultured cream from the fridge and leave it at room temperature for around an hour, or until it has warmed to around 8-14C/46-57F. This chilling and warming encourages the bacteria to develop and the cream to ferment.

Now we’re ready to churn. Using an electric stand mixer or hand-held beaters on a medium-high speed, begin to whisk your cultured cream. It’s important to have your bowl no more than half full, as the cream will expand before it splits. When the cream completely splits to form yellow globules (called popcorn butter) and liquid (buttermilk), strain through a sieve, reserving both the popcorn butter and the buttermilk. This cultured buttermilk will keep, chilled, for up to 12 days.

Quickly knead the popcorn butter on a cold, clean surface by working it with the heels of your hands, squeezing out any remaining buttermilk, until all the moisture has been removed from your butter. Season with salt to taste. Then hand-knead the butter again to release any final excess of moisture. The cultured butter will keep, chilled, for up to 3 weeks, and will continue to mature and develop over that time.

Wild garlic butter - makes around 200g

Fold the wild garlic into the butter. Place on a piece of cling film and roll into a log, then twist and tie the ends to seal. The butter will keep for up to 3 weeks, chilled, and will continue to mature and develop over that time.

Seaweed butter - makes around 200g

Fold the seaweed into the softened butter using the back of a spoon. Place on a piece of cling film and roll into a log, then twist and tie the ends to seal. Freeze until needed. The butter will keep for up to 3 weeks, chilled, and will continue to mature and develop over that time.

Bone marrow butter - makes around 200g

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/ Gas 4. Put the bones into a roasting tin and roast for 20 minutes until the marrow is meltingly soft. When the bones are cool enough to handle, scrape out the marrow into a bowl.

Heat a small knob of the butter in a frying pan over a medium-low heat, then gently cook the shallots with a pinch of salt for around 10 minutes until they are very soft but not coloured. Set aside to cool.

Add the remaining butter to the bowl of bone marrow, then fold in the cooled shallots, cheese and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the butter on a piece of cling film and roll into a log, then twist and tie the ends to seal. It will keep for up to 3 days, chilled.

Smoked butter - makes around 500g

When you follow the method for cultured butter (see main recipe), replace the salt with oak-smoked sea salt at the last step. Place on a piece of cling film and roll into a log, then twist and tie the ends to seal. Allow to rest, chilled, for 2 days, to give the flavours time to permeate throughout the butter.

Sun-dried tomato butter - makes around 200g

Fold the sun-dried tomatoes into the softened butter using the back of a spoon. Place on a piece of cling film and roll into a log, then twist and tie the ends to seal. The butter will keep for up to 3 weeks, chilled, and will continue to mature and develop over that time.