Butter boards—a good idea or not?

 

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Butter Board (TikTok Recipe) - Sugar and Soul

Six years ago, when I moved into the cottage, Jordan and I entertained almost every evening because people were curious to see my garage-turned-cozy cottage. We put several cheeses and a couple of sliced meats on a board and barely knew to call it charcuterie. Today, these boards may have reached their peak of popularity. They’ve gotten so complicated and elaborate that there are entire books on how to create them and you can take classes in creating spectacular arrangements of meat, cheese, and vegetables, the latter often shaped into rose blooms.

But there’s a new board that cooks and hosts are just beginning to explore: butter boards. I have to confess that good, rich, real butter is one of my favorite foods. To me, the perfect snack is a saltine cracker with a good-sized slice of butter. When they were little my kids used to say, “Have a little cracker with your butter, Mom.” I am convinced butter boards were designed just for me.

Whereas charcuterie boards seem to grow larger until they are often big and sometimes contain a full meal, butter boards are much smaller. It is just what the name implies: softened butter spread thickly on a small board, usually wooden though a plate could be used. A few years ago glass cutting boards were all the rage—I have two small ones and think they would be good for butter board.

What else goes into a butter board? You are only as limited as your imagination. Originally, the board featured herbs and microgreens. Some people added edible flowers. Then chefs and cooks began to branch out, exploring savory additions—garlic, spices, bacon, some of those charcuterie ingredients, like salami or other preserved meat, finely chopped. Want something sweet? Use jam, honey, fruit, nuts, or seeds. To scoop up the butter, offer crackers, baguette slices, even pretzels. I do think a butter knife would be useful to avoid messes.

An alternative to butter is cream cheese. The obvious toppings would be diced smoked salmon, chopped red onion, a bit of tomato, and capers. But cream cheese would make a good base for toppings like bacon, or cucumber and green onions.  Dream big!

The most important aspect of creating your board is the same as in arranging a charcuterie: arrange things in the most appealing manner. I frequently quote my mom: food is half eaten by the eye.

You probably would not serve boards, either with butter or meat and cheese, to large groups. These are dishes for a small group of three or friends gathered around a coffee table. You might be sure beforehand that your guests like butter.

Not all chefs are enthusiastic about the butter board craze. Some fear it’s unsanitary. They claim smearing butter on a porous wooden board means you can’t clean the board thoroughly and leaves too much room for contamination. I routinely prepare food on a wooden butch block surface, cleaning it thoroughly after each use. I’ve had that same table for years with no problems. Another charge is that a butter board is messy. A way around both of those objections is to place parchment paper under the board, perhaps trimming it around the butter for appearance’s sake. I will also protest that those crowded charcuterie boards are messy too, like a buffet with many hands in the food. That’s why I suggest limiting the size of your party. Finally, those not drawn to butter boards say they can imagine hair, dust particles, and other foreign material floating down onto the board. Doesn’t this happen with any food? Even your dinner plate? Granted, a stray hair is more likely to stick to soft butter, but I think some atmospheric contamination is possible every time we eat, unless we lock ourselves in a bubble. I would remind naysayers that large cheese and fruit boards have been standard at big receptions for years.

Butter boards aren’t for everyone. I haven’t yet had the opportunity to try serving one, but it’s on my bucket list. Here are a couple of combinations that I think sound good. Another hint: be sure to use a rich butter, possibly European. I prefer Kerrygold. And be sure your butter is at room temperature. Then when you put it in the board, give it some swirls and curls for eye appeal.

Basic herbal board:

           Spread your board with 1/2 cup unsalted butter. Sprinkle lightly with kosher or sea salt and a tiny bit of black pepper. Decorate with two tsp. lemon zest, three Tbsp. assorted fresh herbs, chopped; drizzle with one Tbsp. honey.  

Dried cranberry board:

           Spread your board with one-half cup butter. Salt it lightly and drizzle a bit of lemon juice over it. Spread evenly over butter: one Tbsp. chopped walnuts, 2 tsp. diced chives, 2 Tbsp. fresh basil; 2 Tbsp. dried cranberries.

Italian board:

Spread butter and season with salt and lemon zest. Chiffonade five or six basil leaves and spread over butter with two Tbsp. finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes, and one-fourth cup Parmesan or Pecorino.

Be the first to wow your friends with this new trend.