Compound butters

Fresh butter doesn't need much improvement, but with the addition of a few well-chosen flavourings, compound butters can dress up a plain piece of meat, take a vegetable from everyday to elegant, or add a touch of class to a breakfast tray. A few different flavors stored in the freezer are like money in the bank.

Start with ½ cup of the best unsalted butter at room temperature.
Use a spoon or a small spatula to work in the flavouring ingredients until thoroughly blended.
Season to taste with salt if appropriate, and then either put the butter in a serving bowl or roll it in wax paper to make a tube from which you can slice off disks.
Well-sealed compound butter will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week and in the freezer for several months.

• For meat or fish steaks or fillets, set a chilled disk or spoonful of compound butter on the warm meat or fish as it rest after cooking.
• Place disks under the skin of chicken or in the middle of burger patties before cooking.
• Add a dollup to the hot broth of steamed shellfish right before serving.
• To make a quick pan sauce for meat, fish, or pasta, whisk compound butter by the tablespoonful into half a cup of hot, pasta water, stock, or wine (off the flame) until the desired consistency is achieved.

1. Blue cheese and black pepper butter : Work in 2 tablespoons blue cheese and 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper. Use on beef, venison, burgers, pork, chicken, pasta, green beans, baked potatoes.
2. Caper and parsley butter : Work in 2 tablespoons drained and coarsely chopped capers, 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, ½ anchovy, finely minced. Use on fish, chicken, steamed shellfish, cauliflower.
3. Goat cheese butter : Work in ¼ cup soft cream goat cheese at room temperature. Use on chicken, sweet potatoes, winter squash, pasta, vegetables such as peas, green beans, broccoli.
4. Honey-sage butter : Work in 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely minced. Use on chicken, duck, pork, delicate fish such as trout or tilapia, breakfast muffins or tea scones.
5. Horseradish butter : Work in 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish. Use on beef, burgers, crab cakes, baked potatoes, salmon, ham.
6. Mint-lemon butter : Work in 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint, 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest, 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice. Use on lamb, white fish, chicken, vegetables such as asparagus, summer squash, peas, green beans.
7. Mustard butter : Work in 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard. Use on beef, burgers, salmon, pork, chicken, meaty white fish such as cod or halibut, green beans.
8. Orange-rosemary butter : Work in 2 tablespoons orange marmelade, 2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary. Use on pork, duck, breakfast muffins or tea scones.
9. Peach-sage butter : Work in 2 tablespoons peach or apricot jam, 2 teaspoons finely chopped sage. Use on ham, pork, breakfast muffins or tea scones.
10. Strawberry-tarragon butter : Work in 2 tablespoons strawberry jam, 2 teaspoons finely chopped tarragon. Use on breakfast muffins or tea scones.

BON APPETIT

Caramel apple flipjack

There are few flavours as addictive as caramelized apples, especially as one of the first tastes of the day. This spectacular dish is an A.M. showstopper that's so easy to make you'll impress yourself in your own kitchen before impressing everyone at your table.

Serves 6 or so

- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1 cup of white sugar
- 2 large unpeeled local apples
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup any kind rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1½ cups of milk (cow's, rice or soy)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt the butter in your favorite frying pan over medium-high heat.
Gently swirl the pan to evenly coat the bottom, then sprinkle the white sugar over the butter.
Continue heating, gently swirling a bit, until the sugar becomes golden brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat.

Core the apples and slice each one into 8 wedges.
Arrange the wedges cut side down on the caramel to form an attractive outer ring, overlapping as needed, then filling the inside.

In a large bowl, mix well the flours, the oats, the baking powder, the nutmeg and the salt.
In a second bowl, whisk together the eggs, the milk, the oil, the brown sugar and the vanilla.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry one.
Stir with a wooden spoon just until a smooth batter forms.
Carefully pour the batter over the apples.
Bake in an oven 350F 20 to 30 minutes until firm and cooked through.

Gently loosen the sides with a rubber spatula, then cover with a large serving plate.
Carefully invert the works, remove the pan, and reveal your masterpiece.

Serve and share.

BON APPETIT

Greek salad wraps

All the flavors of Greece combine in the fresh-tasting snacks. Perfect for a picnic or lunch in the garden.

Serves 2

- 1 large vine-ripened tomato
- 50 cm piece cucumber
- 6 pitted Kalamata olives
- 2 very large soft tortilla wraps
- 50 gr feta, cubed
- 2 heaped tbsp houmous

Roughly chop the tomato, cut the cucumber into sticks and split and stone the olives.
Heat the tortillas.

Make a row of tomato, cucumber, feta and olives down the center of each warm tortilla.
Spread the houmous around the top and sides of the tortilla.
Fold in the sides to seal in the ingredients and roll up tightly to make a big cigar.
Cut in half and eat with your fingers.

BON APPETIT

Lemon and coriander houmous

This classic healthy dip is a popular favorite. Serve with fresh vegetable sticks, such as carrots, pepper and cucumber.

Serves 6

- 2 x 400 gr cans chickpeas in water, drained
- 2 fat garlic cloves, chopped
- 3 tbsp greek yogurt
- 3 tbsp tahini paste
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Zest and juice of 2 lemons
- ¼ cup pack fresh coriander

Put everything but the coriander in a food processor, then whizz to a fairly smooth mix.
Season the houmous, then add the coriander and pulse until roughly chopped.

Spoon into a serving bowl, drizzle with olive oil and serve.

BON APPETIT

Sweet and hot shrimp (Thai cooking)

This is a very sweet, almost candy-like dish.

Makes 4 servings

- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1½ tsp chopped fresh red chilies
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves

In a saucepan, combine sugar, water, fish sauce and garlic.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until syrupy.
Do not let sauce burn.

Add lime juice and chilies and simmer for 2 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasonings, adding lime juice if necessary.

Add shrimp and cilantro and simmer, stirring, for 2 minutes or until shrimp are just pink.
Do not overcook.

BON APPETIT

Spiced wine (Holiday cheer)

In northern Europe, mulled wine announces the arrival of the Christmas season.

- 1 x 750 ml medium-bodied red wine
- ½ cup sugar
- 8 whole cloves
- 4 lemon wedges
- 4 x 4-inch sticks cinnamon

Bring ingredients to a boil, stirring occasionally, and remove from heat.
Discard cloves.
Ladle wine in 4 glasses and garnish each 1 of the cinnamon sticks and 1 lemon wedge.
Serve hot

Happy Holidays

Chive and cheddar biscuits

Generous amounts of butter and buttermilk impart richness and a tender texture, and the sharp, tangy flavors of fresh chives and cheddar cheese provide a mouthwatering counterpoint.

Makes 6 biscuits

- 2 cups flour
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1½ tsp salt
- 8 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into thin pats
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ cup minced chives
- 2 tbsp heavy cream

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt in a bowl.
Using a pastry cutter, work the cold butter into the flour mixture until the butter is the size of small peas.
Add the buttermilk, cheddar and chives to the flour-butter mixture and stir with a fork to form a loose dough.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and gently pat into a 6x9-inch rectangle.
Fold into thirds as you would a letter and pat into a 6x9-inch rectangle again.
Dip the edges of a 3-inch round biscuit cutter in flour and punch out 6 biscuits from the dough.
Transfer the biscuits to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Brush the tops with heavy cream and bake in oven 450F until lightly browned, 14-16 minutes.
Serve warm.

BON APPETIT