Pepper butters

Chefs are spicing up dishes with different varieties of black pepper – try these simple ideas for butter at home

Finishing a dish with a twist of black pepper is second nature to most home cooks, but restaurant chefs are using a range of pepper varieties, many of which are not true peppers but spices that give a ‘hot’ flavour similar to black or white pepper. Anne-sophie Pic is a huge fan of different pepper varieties, using several at her restaurant La Dame de Pic (ladamedepic london.co.uk), including Madagascan voatsiperifery, Tasmanian pepper berry and red Kampot (from Kampot, Cambodia). You can buy different peppers online (see our best buys, opposite), and in most supermarkets. If you want to try it at home, start by changing the variety of your black peppercorns, then move on to different types.

Pepper butters

SERVES 6 (each butter) PREP 5 mins each plus chilling NO COOK V

Timut & cardamom

Beat 75g softened unsalted butter with an electric whisk or in a small blender until pale and fluffy. Finely grind ½ tsp timut pepper and ¼ tsp cardamom seeds (about 4 pods) using a pestle and mortar, then stir into the whipped butter with a pinch of salt, if you like. Spoon into a dish or shape using a waxed wrap or baking parchment and chill until needed. Will keep for one week. Serve with crusty bread or melt onto grilled or barbecued chicken.

GOOD TO KNOW gluten free

PER TBSP 112 kcals • fat 12g • saturates 8g • carbs 0.1g • sugars 0.1g • fibre none • protein 0.1g • salt none

Long pepper & orange

Beat 75g softened unsalted butter with an electric whisk or in a small blender until pale and fluffy. Finely grind ½ tsp long pepper using a pestle and mortar. Stir the pepper into the whipped butter with the zest of 1 orange and a pinch of salt, if you like, then whip in the juice of /2 orange until it is combined.

1

Spoon into a dish or shape using a waxed wrap or parchment and chill until needed. Will keep for one week. Serve with bread or dot over steamed spinach or greens.

GOOD TO KNOW gluten free

PER TBSP 82 kcals • fat 9g • saturates 6g • carbs 0.4g • sugars 0.4g • fibre 0.1g • protein 0.1g • salt none

Pink peppercorn & lime

Beat 75g softened unsalted butter with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Finely grind ½ tsp pink peppercorns using a pestle and mortar. Stir into the butter with the zest of 1 lime and a pinch of salt, if you like, then whip in the juice of ½ lime. Spoon into a dish or shape using a waxed wrap or parchment and chill until needed. Will keep for one week. Serve with white fish.

GOOD TO KNOW gluten free

PER TBSP 93 kcals • fat 10g • saturates 6g • carbs 0.1g • sugars 0.1g • fibre none • protein 0.1g • salt none

Szechuan pepper, chilli & soy

Beat 75g softened unsalted butter with an electric whisk or in a small blender until pale and fluffy. Finely grind ½ tsp Szechuan peppercorns using a pestle and mortar. Stir the pepper into the butter with a pinch dried chilli flakes, then whip in

1 tbsp light soy sauce until combined. Spoon into a dish or shape using a waxed wrap or parchment and chill until needed. Will keep for one week. Serve on Asian greens, or melted onto steak.

GOOD TO KNOW gluten free

PER TBSP 95 kcals • fat 10g • saturates 6g • carbs 1g • sugars 1g • fibre none • protein 0.2g • salt 0.4g