Because good butter makes everything better.
Takeaways
- According to chefs, using high-quality butter can make a real difference in cooking and baking.
- European and Irish-style butters have a higher fat content than most American-style butters, and more fat equals more flavor.
- Four chefs unanimously agreed that Kerrygold is the best butter, highlighting its exceptional quality and flavor.
- While more expensive than standard American butter, chefs say that Kerrygold is worth the splurge, especially for sauces and baking.
Whether you’re slathering it on a slice of sourdough bread, mixing it into chocolate chip cookie dough, or whisking it into a silky pan sauce to spoon over sautéed chicken, butter is a key that unlocks deliciousness. And while any butter is better than no butter (in my opinion), using an excellent one can make a huge difference in terms of flavor and texture.
To find out which butter is the best, I spoke with four chefs who use the dairy product on a regular basis for cooking and baking. They all agreed that one brand stands out.
Meet Our Expert
- Abigail Dahan, pastry chef at Provenance in Philadelphia
- Lucie Franc de Ferriere, owner of the From Lucie bakery in New York City and author of Cake From Lucie: Recipes and Techniques from the French Countryside to New York City
- Mallory Oniki, author of Cookie Club: 80 Creative Cookies to Make, Swap, and Share
- Paul Punch, corporate chef at Sunday Hospitality in New York City
What to Look for When Choosing Butter
For maximum flavor, choose a European or Irish-style butter. These butters are required to be at least 82% fat, while American butter is only required to contain 80%. That additional fat means there’s less water and more flavor in the butter, says Abigail Dahan, pastry chef at Provenance in Philadelphia. “The higher fat content gives butter a creamier texture and fuller taste.”
As for adding unsalted or salted butter to your cart, that depends on what you’re going to do with it. If you’re spreading it on toast, look for salted. If you’re baking with it, most recipes call for unsalted…but some pastry pros prefer salted butter for everything. Mallory Oniki, author of Cookie Club, says, “I always buy salted, no matter what I’m making or baking.”
The Best Butter, According to Chefs
All the chefs I spoke with named the Irish butter brand Kerrygold as their favorite. Dahan started using it about 10 years ago, when her supermarket was out of her preferred French butter and she wanted a high-quality alternative. “It tasted so much like the high-fat butter from France and is much more readily available, so it became a natural switch for me.”
Oniki says she can't get enough of it. “Kerrygold’s richer taste and creamier flavor is so delicious all on its own, but also elevates any baked good it is in."
When Lucie Franc de Ferriere, bakery-owner and author of Cake From Lucie, first tried Kerrygold, she instantly fell in love with the flavor and texture. She says that the brand makes a huge difference in her baking, especially buttercream frostings. “It’s just so much richer and bolder in flavor. It’s also so smooth, a real plus for my Swiss meringue buttercream that uses a lot of butter.”
Paul Punch, corporate chef at Sunday Hospitality, credits the brand's quality to both its fat percentage and the cows’ diet. “It’s a combination of higher fat and less water, along with milk from grass-fed cows.”
When to Use Kerrygold
If butter is more of a background flavor in whatever you’re baking or cooking, then American-style butters can do the job. That's especially true considering that Kerrygold is more expensive than standard American butter (although it’s less expensive than many imported French butters).
But these chefs agree that Kerrygold is worth the splurge when the butter flavor is meant to shine in whatever you’re cooking or baking. “I especially love using it for simple dishes where the butter flavor will really come through, such as in sautéed vegetables, mashed potatoes, and pasta. But my favorite way to eat Kerrygold is just with some really great baguette and strawberry jam,” says Dahan.
Punch notes that the mega-popular Café Chelsea uses Kerrygold in two of its top-selling dishes: the maître d'hôtel butter for steak frites and a beurre blanc for Ravioles du Dauphiné. “Unfortunately, we can't use it for everything, but it's worth it in sauces, pastas, and baking.”
Franc de Ferriere likens using good butter, such as Kerrygold, to using good eggs in baking. "Quality butter and eggs change the whole flavor of cakes, as well as color. I always say to splurge on butter and eggs."
Oniki agrees. "It is definitely a bit pricier than some of the other butters on the shelf, but I think it's worth it when you want a higher quality result. If you are baking for a special occasion or want to impress someone, the richer flavor and fat content make a big difference. Kerrygold is a really easy upgrade."
Read the original article on Real Simple
