Homemade butter

Making butter at home does not pay off economically — it is handwork done for its own sake. What it does give is a very creamy taste, close to the expensive French brands from Brittany.

Ingredients

• time and inclination
• a mixer, stand mixer or butter churn
• whipping cream 33–35%
• water and ice, and a deep bowl
• sea salt
• baking paper

Method

1. A butter churn works, and so does an ordinary mixer — with a mixer it is worth rigging a cover so that the cream does not splash everywhere.
2. Pour in the cream and start whipping. Nothing happens at first, then the cream thickens and whips as if for a dessert.
3. This is the moment where, for whipped cream, you must not over-beat — but for butter you keep going. In a second the cream separates into butter and buttermilk.
4. Keep going until all the cream has separated.
5. Prepare a bowl of water and ice.
6. Gather all the butter by hand and lower it into the water, shaping it into a ball there. The water cools the butter quickly and makes it easier to shape.
7. Take it out, add salt and form it into a block.
8. Wrap in baking paper and refrigerate.

Tips

• Herbs, dried garlic, truffle salt, pink peppercorns and even honey can be worked into the butter to flavour it.