Butter boards and how you can ace them this festive party season

Tanvi Shah prefers vegan butters for butter boards but makes regular butter ones for friends too. Pic/Ashish Raje

Who would have thought that butter - usually frowned upon for increasing cholesterol, causing heart disease and widening the waistline - would have its time in the sun on social media. Butter boards, the latest social media trend, first caught everyone's attention via a video by Brooklyn-based recipe developer Justine Doiron (@justine_snacks on Instagram), who credits chef Josh McFadden for the initial idea. Like a charcuterie board, this customisable spread of softened butter, smeared over a board and topped with favourite ingredients, can be used as a dip to eat with warm bread, veggies, salad or meat.

Before we dive into the details, nutritionist and gut microbiome coach Karishma Chawla clears the air around butter's bad reputation. "Butter is a saturated fat made from cream separated from whole milk by fermentation and agitation. It contains fat, some amount of protein, non-fat solids, and some water. However, it contains less fat compared to vegetable oils and has short chain fatty acids such as butyric acids that make it easy to digest and help with the gut microbiome [gut flora/gut bacteria] and lowering inflammation. However, moderation is key, and we must balance the consumption of different kinds of fat for optimal health," she adds, recommending adding herbs with medicinal properties to butter to enhance its nutrition without adding to the calories.

Chef Neha Deepak Shah feels butter boards are quick and easy and perfect for parties

Chef Neha Deepak Shah thinks the trend is easy, and hence, perfect for the upcoming festive party season as you can put together a party board with whatever ingredients you have available in no time. "There are almost no rules. Just keep the butter out of the fridge for 10-15 minutes so that it turns soft enough to spread. Then, play with the balance of flavours - sweet, spicy and salty - and add nuts for crunch, and fresh herbs, microgreens or edible flowers for aesthetics. In case it becomes too soft, keep it in the fridge for 10 minutes and serve it with warm bread," she adds.

The don'ts of butter boards

>>  Avoid making it directly on a wooden board. Place parchment paper on top because wood is porous and absorbs fat and flavours. You will ruin the board when fat comes directly in contact with butter
>>  Do not add too many things and make it messy
>>  Add your edible flowers and herbs last to add that touch of glamour

Going vegan

Food blogger Tanvi Shah of The Millennial Kitchen feels the sheer simplicity and availability of ingredients and aesthetics have made it a trend. "However, I cannot vouch for its nutritional value, so I tweaked mine to match my nutritional ethos and made a delish Asian nut variant that is nutritious cold pressed fat with the deliciousness of herbs and spices. Just keep it simple and don't over-flavour it. Make a small batch and eat in moderation guiltlessly," she adds.

Vegan tofu butter board

Ingredients
200 gm tofu
100 ml water
1/2 tbsp garlic
1 kafir lime leaf
1-2 lemongrass greens
5-6 basil leaves
1 tsp salt
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp raw stevia powder

Garnish
Red chilli flakes
Black and white sesame seeds

Method
Blend all ingredients to a fine buttery paste. Spread on a board and sprinkle chilli flakes, and black and white sesame seeds. Serve with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and lavash and sourdough bread.

Karishma Chawla's health takeaway

>>  Moderation is key in terms of quantity and frequency
>>  Dairy allergy and/or intolerance is a red flag
>>  With an auto-immune condition, eliminating it until you are in remission is a good idea

Sweet and spicy party board

Ingredients
200 gm butter, room temperature
1 tbsp chilli oil
1 tsp honey
60 gm chopped mixed nuts/ mixed seeds
1 tsp pickled chillies
1 tsp spring onions
1 tsp sesame seeds
Microgreens, to garnish
Edible flowers, to garnish
Salt and pepper, to taste

Method
Place butter paper on a wooden board. Spread the butter in an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining ingredients over the spread butter. Garnish with microgreens and serve with your favourite bread or cracker of choice.

Take it with a pinch of salt
Chef Karishma Sakhrani thinks butter boards are a fun way to use this everyday ingredient. The OG butter board by Josh McFadden is her biggest inspiration and her version includes loads of flaky salt, lemon zest, and the freshest herbs. She suggests, if you are going to use flaky salt, make sure to use unsalted butter. "Make it in a small batch because once the butter melts, it does not taste the same. However, don't throw away any leftovers, as they can easily be recycled in soups and gravies," she adds.

Elotes butter board

Chef Karishma Sakhrani loves the original butter board by Josh McFadden and prefers to use flaky salt in her creations. Pic/Sameer Markande

Ingredients
100 gm unsalted butter
1 cob of charred corn
2 pieces jalapeños
1/4 cup feta cheese
A pinch of smoked paprika
A few sprigs of cilantro
1 tsp flaky salt

Method

Soften the butter until it just presses down easily; flatten over a wooden board using the back of a spoon. Add charred corn, fresh jalapeño slices, crumbled feta, cilantro and a sprinkle of smoked paprika and flaky salt. Serve with corn chips or some grilled sourdough bread.

Go desi

Chef Rakhee Vaswani feels that a butter board is inviting, colourful and easy to make as opposed to the cheeseboard where you need knife skills and a sense of palate to create flavours. "Bread and butter are a staple breakfast. Even in India, we have our fair share of bun maska and makkhan pav. Personally, I liked the ones with fig honey and marmalade or raspberry jam, and edible flowers. But when I decided to go desi, we created this one with methi masala, athanela marcha, chunda, mango pickle some dill leaves and coriander, and went crazy for some crunch with khakra and debhra. This is my take on makkhan pav, decorated or piled with sweet and spicy chutneys or just about a good traditional masala like lassun ki chutney found at home or a neighbouring food store. Preferably use salted butter as it's more flavourful rather than sprinkling sea salt over it. Just don't leave it out as the weather can be hot. Feel free to add any curry, sauce, or chutney; but ensure that none of it is watery, else it will mess up the consistency," she adds.

Desi butter board

Pic/Shadab Khan

Ingredients
500 gm butter, room temperature
1 cup chunda
1 cup methi masala
1 cup mango pickle
1 cup athanela murcha
4-5 khakra
2-3 dhebra
A few sprigs fresh dill leaves
A few sprigs coriander leaves
A few blueberries
Homemade masala pav

Method
Put a small dollop of butter on the board and place brown paper on it. With the back of a spoon or palette, knife or butter knife spread the butter and create some peaks for a rustic look. Next, put dollops of chunda, mango pickle and toppings as per taste. Garnish with berries or fresh fruits, and dill leaves and coriander. Use a sourdough or masala pav to scoop up a good chunk of butter, add crushed khakra or debhra and enjoy.