Printanier Butter

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Digital kitchen scale
• •5-quart (4.7-liter) pot and fine-mesh skimmer
• •Small heavy saucepan
• •7-cup (1.7-liter) food processor or larger
• •Fine-mesh sieve and flexible bowl scraper
• •Clean absorbent kitchen towels

Instructions

1. 1

   Set the butter station

   Set out four labeled bowls so the vegetables remain separate. Bring the water and salt to a full rolling boil in a large pot. Arrange clean kitchen towels beside the stove, fit a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl, and let the butter soften only until a finger leaves a dent. It should remain cool, opaque, and free of any oily sheen.

   Warm, greasy butter won't hold the vegetable purée evenly. If it begins to shine or slump, return it to the cold for ten minutes.
2. 2

   Blanch the green vegetables

   Cook each green vegetable separately, letting the water return to a full boil between batches. Give fresh peas 2 to 3 minutes, or frozen peas about 1 minute after the boil returns. Cook the haricots verts for 4 to 5 minutes and the asparagus for 2 to 4 minutes. Each should remain vividly colored but become tender enough to crush easily between two fingers. These vegetables are destined for a smooth butter, not a crisp salad.

   Old fresh peas turn starchy before they ever become tender. Out of season, frozen peas picked young are the honest classical pantry choice.
3. 3

   Dry and cool thoroughly

   Lift each batch into a separate colander, shake it hard, then spread it in a single layer on clean towels. Blot the tops and leave the vegetables uncovered until completely cool. Don't rinse them in cold water; that replaces the heat with the very water the finished butter cannot afford. If droplets still cling after blotting, tumble the batch in a dry skillet over the lowest heat for 30 to 60 seconds without coloring it, then spread it out to cool again.

4. 4

   Reduce the carrots dry

   Melt the tablespoon of butter in a small heavy saucepan, then add the carrots, consommé, and sugar. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat, stirring more frequently as the liquid diminishes, until the carrots are completely tender and the consommé has reduced to a tight glaze, about 18 to 25 minutes. The spatula should leave a clean trail across the pan with no broth running into it. If the liquid disappears before the carrots soften, ça se rattrape: add one tablespoon of water, cover for two minutes, then uncover and reduce again. Spread the glazed carrots on a plate and cool them completely.

5. 5

   Match butter by weight

   Set out the four 225 g portions of softened butter, one for each 225 g vegetable batch. The one-to-one ratio is the structure of Beurre Printanier, not an approximation. If you scale any variation up or down, weigh the prepared vegetable before cooking and give it exactly the same weight of butter.

6. 6

   Pound each batch smooth

   Working with one vegetable at a time, combine it with its matching butter portion in the food processor. Pulse several times, scrape down the bowl, then process until the vegetable is finely dispersed and the butter is uniform in color. Wash and dry the bowl between variations. If a vegetable was still warm and the butter turns glossy and loose, stop. Ça se rattrape: chill the mixture for 10 to 15 minutes, until opaque but still pliable, then process it briefly again.

7. 7

   Pass through the sieve

   Perform the tamisage (passing through a fine sieve) while each butter is still pliable. Press it firmly through the mesh with a flexible scraper, then collect the smooth butter from the underside. Discard the pea skins, bean fibers, and asparagus threads left behind. If the butter is too firm to pass, let it stand for five minutes; never loosen it with water or consommé, which would undo the careful drying.

8. 8

   Set and serve

   Pack the four butters into separate labeled jars, or shape them into parchment-wrapped logs, and chill for at least 30 minutes. Let the amount you intend to serve soften for about 15 minutes, then spoon or slice it over poached fish, eggs, new potatoes, asparagus, peas, or haricots verts. Add it after the food leaves the heat so the butter melts into a glossy sauce without boiling. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Keep the four variations separate. The point is to taste pea as pea and asparagus as asparagus; combining them produces a pleasant green butter, but it is no longer the preparation the source describes.
• •Use the scale. Cups are useful for shopping, but equal weight is what protects the original proportion, especially once vegetables vary in size and shape.
• •The consommé gives the carrot variation its savory backbone. Choose one with a clear flavor and modest salt, then reduce it until nothing remains but glaze. Ordinary watery broth leaves the butter flat.
• •Never boil Beurre Printanier after it is finished. Spoon it onto hot food away from direct heat, where it can melt gently into a sauce while keeping the vegetable color and fresh flavor.

Advance Preparation

• •Make all four butters up to five days ahead. Pack them separately in airtight containers, press parchment directly against the surface, and keep them refrigerated.
• •For longer storage, shape each butter into a tightly wrapped log and freeze it for up to two months. Slice coins directly from the frozen log and return the remainder to the freezer promptly.
• •For an Easter meal, prepare the butters several days ahead and bring only the amount needed to a cool room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. Don't soften them in a microwave, which melts the edges before the center yields.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 14g)