If you’ve ever made compound butter, you know the work is worth the reward. Herbs, spices, and other sweet and savory ingredients are mixed into softened butter, which is then rolled into a log, sliced, and added to sauces, breads, sautés, and other culinary wonders. Compound butter is truly a chef’s secret ingredient for elevating flavor.
In my opinion, butter makes everything taste better. So I was pleased to find Churn’s chef-crafted flavored butters could effortlessly boost buttery goodness in my home-cooked meals.
These elegant finishing butters are crafted from the best grass-fed, hormone-free, organic, non-GMO butter from California. Super rich and creamy in the European style, these butters were created by a chef who wished to expand upon the limited offerings in the supermarket.
Out of the nine flavors offered by Churn, I’ve tried three so far: Cacio e Pepe, Bruschetta, and Garlic & Shallot. I melted Cacio e Pepe with its cheesy and peppery bite into one batch of cheese tortellini, and Bruschetta with its tangy tomato and balsamic zing into another. In a matter of minutes, I had two restaurant-quality meals that impressed me with their high-quality and balanced flavors.
I spread the Garlic & Shallot variety on bread, and sautéed carrots in some of the butter for a soup. The tangy garlic and shallot confits in this blend shined through in both applications. I needed no other seasonings. Not even salt. The same was true with both the Cacio e Pepe and Bruschetta varieties. When melted, both butters formed into sauces that were rich and satisfying with the need for nothing else.
Other flavors in the line include Maple & Cinnamon, Pesto, Miso, Truffle, and Everything (a buttery take on the popular bagel seasoning). I have plans for a few of these. Rubbing the Miso variety over a whole chicken before roasting will be sublime; melting the Pesto butter over grilled food will be perfect for summer; and sautéing a tablespoon or two of the Everything flavor will heighten even the simplest of vegetable medleys. It’s true: everything’s better with butter.
Each 5.5 fl oz container retails for $13. Assorted 3-packs are $35.
