The Wholefood Pantry

by Amber Rose

  There are now plenty of good-quality organic grass-fed butters available in the supermarkets, and some even sell unpasteurised butter. However, nothing is more satisfying than making your own. It’s easy and well worth the effort. Get the kids involved too – they’ll love it.

  2 litres organic double cream, at room temperature (unpasturised or pasteurised, but make sure it is not homogenised)

  1½ teaspoons sea salt flakes – omit if you want unsalted butter or to make ghee

  Start by soaking your wooden butter pats in iced water for 30 minutes so that they will stick less to the butter when shaping it.

  Pour the cream into a sterilised, chilled mixing bowl and whisk at medium speed. It will undergo various stages – softly whipped, then stiffly whipped, then it will start to collapse and separate. You will see the buttermilk start sloshing around the bowl: keep going until it is well separated. Tip into a spotlessly clean sieve set over a bowl and allow the buttermilk to drain from the butter.

  Put the butter back into a clean bowl and beat with a whisk for a further 30 seconds to 1 minute to expel any remaining buttermilk. Remove and drain through the sieve as before. (Keep the buttermilk in the fridge ready to use in other recipes.)

  Fill the bowl containing the butter with iced water. Using the butter bats or your hands, knead the butter to force out any remaining buttermilk. Do not be tempted to skip this step, as any buttermilk remaining in the butter will sour and cause the butter to go off. If you handle the butter too much with your hands it will liquify, so be sure to act quickly for this stage. Drain the water and repeat the process a couple more times, or until the water is totally clear and you are sure there is no more buttermilk in the butter.

  If you want to salt the entire batch, spread the butter out thinly, sprinkle with the salt and massage it in with wet hands. If you want to make only some of it salted, divide the butter into blocks and add a couple of pinches of salt for every 100g of butter.

  Pat the butter into separate portions using the soaked butter bats or your wet hands. If you find the butter is still sticking, try shaping it in the iced water. Wrap in greaseproof paper and store in the fridge.

  Unsalted butter should be eaten within a few days, but salted butter lasts for a couple of weeks.

  For this method your best bet is to use a pair of butter bats to make it easier to shape the final butter into blocks. If you don’t have any butter pats, just use your hands.

  Sunlight taints butter, so if serving it outside, try to keep it covered. When storing the butter, keep it in a covered butter dish.

  A basic nut butter.

  MAKES 1 JAM JAR

  Nut butter is one of my obsessions. It is amazing on a surprisingly large amount of things. Including porridge. Yes, you heard that right. A quick snack that my son loves is an old classic: nut butter spread on a crisp and crunchy celery stick or sometimes a slice of crisp apple. I also love it with fresh paleo bread on top of a generous spread of butter and topped with a drizzle of raw honey. Nuts that work well in nut butters are almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, brazil nuts and macadamias. You can also mix the nuts up if you like, and you could even add sunflower or pumpkin seeds.

  380g nuts, soaked overnight then roasted at a low temperature or dehydrated until crispy

  A pinch of sea salt

  1–2 tablespoons coconut oil

  Tip: You can roast the nuts beforehand to create a slightly different flavour. Roasted almonds make great butter, as do roasted cashews and roasted pecans.

  Tip: For a sweet nut butter, add 1 tablespoon of raw honey.

  Place the nuts in a food processor. Blend for 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Add a generous pinch of sea salt and the coconut oil (I usually find 1 tablespoon is enough, but it depends on the nuts). Blitz again. At this point, you should have a lovely, creamy nut butter.

  Scrape into a glass jar and store in the cupboard. The nut butter will last for at least 6 to 8 weeks if stored in a cool place away from the light. It’s delicious with my spiced almond and coconut bread.

  Coconut butter.

  MAKES 1 SMALL JAR

  You can use this in place of butter on bread, or when baking. It’s absolutely delicious and lasts well. A spoon or two added to smoothies helps with feelings of satiety and weight-loss due to its metabolism-boosting qualities.

  200g coconut flakes

  Place the coconut flakes into a food processor or high-speed blender. Start by pulsing, then turn up the power and blitz until you have butter, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula if necessary. The process will take 10–20 minutes in total. It’s quicker in a food processor, so do use that if you have one. Store in a glass jar in the cupboard.

  Herb-flavoured butters.

  MAKES 250G

  Fresh herb butters are wonderful with an array of ingredients and are a handy way to add another flavour dimension to the simplest of dishes. Wild garlic butter is a favourite of mine, as is nasturtium butter, so I tend to make those the most, but all herby butters are delicious. Wild garlic is only around for a short time in the spring, so I love to make this butter and pop it in the freezer for later use throughout the spring and summer months. (You can do the same with wild garlic oil – see here.) It’s potent stuff and you don’t need much. Wild garlic has a different garlickyness; unlike garlic cloves, it has a deliciously distinctive fresh greenness to it.

  You can make other herb butters using different fresh green herbs. Parsley, basil, oregano, chives, rosemary, fennel, dill and thyme all work well – or try a mixture. Make sure your herbs are completely dry before making the butter because wet herbs make for a soggy butter.

  You can make cultured herby butter with the following recipe ideas, – simply substitute the butter for my cultured Kefir butter and add your favourite herbs from below.

  HERB BUTTER

  250g salted or unsalted butter, softened

  4 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, or a mix of fresh, soft green herbs

  Greaseproof paper, for wrapping

  Put the entire butter block into a mixing bowl and mash it up with a fork. When it yields and is soft, add the parsley and mix well.

  Tear off a good 30cm from a roll of greaseproof paper.

  Spoon on half the butter into a log shape. Then roll it up and twist the ends in opposite directions. This will push it together and neaten up the roll. Repeat with the second half and pop both rolls in the fridge to cool and set. When you are ready to use the butter, slice off wedges as needed, discarding the paper, or unwrap and slice into portions.

  Other flavoured butters:

  Nasturtium butter: Delicious over a piece of freshly pan-fried fish, toasted sourdough and steamed or roasted veg.

  Omit the parsley and add 7 tablespoons of chopped red, yellow and golden nasturtium flowers.

  Garlic or wild garlic butter: Excellent with fresh baked bread, lamb, fish, beef, chicken, pasta and steamed or roasted veg.

  Omit the parsley and add either 6–7 cloves of finely chopped or minced garlic or 4 tablespoons of finely chopped wild garlic leaves.

  Watercress or dill and fennel butter: Beautiful with fish or chicken, or spread on toasted sourdough and topped with avocado, or over steamed or roast veg.

  Omit the parsley and replace with 4 tablespoon of finely chopped watercress or 4 tablespoons of finely chopped dill and fennel fronds.

  Golden glorious ghee.

  MAKES JUST UNDER 1KG

  Ghee is food from the gods – liquid gold. It is lactose free so even people with a dairy intolerance can have it, providing you’re very careful to strain off ALL the milk solids. Ghee is so simple to make and much cheaper than buying it. It tastes better fresh, too, and it lasts for a very long time, which is why the recipe here is for a big batch.

  Although ghee doesn’t have to be stored in the fridge, do keep it away from the light and use a clean utensil each time you dip into the jar. If your kitchen is very warm, you may want to
keep it in the fridge as it will last longer. Ghee stored in the fridge will become very solid, which is fine – just scoop out a spoonful as you need it. I use ghee in lots of recipes in the book as I prefer it to olive oil; ghee has a much higher smoke point, so it doesn’t burn easily when you are roasting or pan-frying at high temperatures. Good fats, like ghee, that are correctly prepared and cooked with are essential to good health, helping the body to make fat-soluble vitamins in our food become available to the body. In Ayurvedic medicine, ghee is known for its healing qualities and is used internally and externally.

  1kg unsalted butter (you can use more or less; the method and cooking times are pretty much the same)

  Line a strainer with kitchen paper and set over a 1kg clean glass jar.

  Gently melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Once melted, in only a few minutes the butter will separate into three layers: foam will appear as the top layer, the milk solids will migrate to the bottom of the pan, and clarified butter will float between the two.

  The foam will gradually die down, then, slowly, bigger bubbles will start to appear, then it will foam again. When the second foam forms it is ready. This should take 10–15 minutes, depending on how hot you have it.

  When you see the second foam, remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool a little and the milk solids to settle at the bottom – do not stir it at any point during the process. Scoop off the top layer of foam using a small double-mesh strainer.

  Next, carefully pour the golden central layer through the lined strainer into the jar, leaving the milk solids in the bottom of the pan. If you have succeeded in keeping all the milk solids out of the ghee, and use clean dry utensils each time you dip into the jar, ghee will keep at room temperature for weeks – even months in cooler weather. It can be used as a cooking oil or finishing element, and is also a traditional Ayurvedic body moisturiser.

  Chilled flavoured olive oils.

  MAKES ABOUT 250ML

  Chilled flavoured oils are much the same as the flavoured herb butters but this version is dairy free and the olive oil lends its own distinctive flavour. You must chill these oils for them to work properly. During the chilling process the oil becomes solid, which lends its own unique texture and mouth feel. These chilled oils are great spooned over fish, chicken, pork, lamb or beef. They are also amazing over my quick greens or over roast or steamed veg. They will transform your simple fillet of fish (or anything else you choose to put it on) into something supremely amazing.

  The paprika and turmeric oils will last for several months in the fridge, but the herb oils will only last for a few days or up to a week. If you want them to last longer, store them in the freezer in small portions. You could even freeze them in the ice cube trays for single portions

  Emerald green herb oil: Works well with beef, chicken, lamb, fish, greens, squash.

  HERBS TO CHOOSE FROM

  Thyme, rosemary, parsley, chives, oregano – you can pick a single herb or a combination

  50g your chosen fresh herb(s)

  250ml extra virgin olive oil

  Wash and dry the herbs, then lay them flat on a tray lined with a tea towel, to air-dry completely. When the herbs are completely dry, finely chop them and mix into the olive oil. Refrigerate in a jar with a tight-fitting lid until ready to use.

  Ruby red paprika oil: Works well with chicken, lamb, fish, autumn veg.

  2 tablespoons of spanish paprika, smoked or unsmoked

  250ml extra virgin olive oil

  2 garlic cloves, finely minced

  Place the paprika in a bowl and stir in the oil.

  Add the garlic, allow it to infuse for 30 minutes, then strain the ruby oil through a fine strainer. Pop in the fridge in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.

  Liquid gold, turmeric and ginger oil: Works well with chicken, fish, squash, Asian noodle dishes, shiitake mushrooms and hearty winter veg soups.

  2 tablespoons of turmeric powder

  250ml extra virgin olive oil

  1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger, plus all the juice

  A few twists of freshly ground black pepper

  Pop the turmeric into a small bowl. Add the oil, ginger and black pepper. Allow the mix to infuse for 30 minutes before straining. Pour the golden oil into a jar with a tight-fitting lid and pop into the fridge.

  A soft green herb, drizzle oil.

  MAKES ABOUT 200ML

  Basil, wild garlic, parsley, tarragon, mint and dill would work best in this heavenly drizzle oil. Not all together. You want a kind of sludgy verdant sauce that lends a freshness and vibrancy to the dish that you drizzle it over. It has a clean punchy flavour that can really make a dish sing. It is wonderful drizzled over colourful roast autumn squash and heritage beets, roasted baby carrots in the throws of spring; it is great over creamy buffalo mozzarella and double-podded broad beans and it is also delicious with fish and chicken and drizzled over soups. It is also amazing drizzled over poached eggs and avocado on toast. Of course, if you struggle to use it all up, you can add the last bit back to the blender and add some toasted nuts, Parmesan and lemon juice and you have pesto. Dill works very well with fish, and tarragon goes beautifully with chicken; mint goes beautifully with lamb and all the other herbs go with pretty much everything.

  2 large handfuls of your choice of fresh, soft green herbs (you can combine herbs, to complement what you are cooking, or keep it pure and simple by just choosing one herb)

  *basil

  *parsley

  *Wild garlic

  *mint

  *tarragon

  *dill

  1 fat garlic clove

  Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

  180ml extra virgin olive oil

  Discard the herb stalks and pop the leaves into a high-powered blender or food processor. Add the remaining ingredients and blitz until you have a beautiful moss-green purée. Allow the mix to stand for 1–2 minutes before transferring into a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate until ready to use. This oil will keep for up to one week if kept cool.

  Cultured.

  It’s all about the kefir.

  MAKES 500ML

  Kefir is a fermented milk drink. The name comes from the Turkish word keif, meaning ‘good feeling’, which aptly describes the benefit of drinking this wonderful beverage. It contains high levels of vitamin B12, calcium, magnesium, vitamin K2, biotin, folate, enzymes and probiotics, making it one of the most nutritious things you can consume. It has over 20 times the amount of probiotics contained in yogurt and has been known to help boost immunity, assist in the healing of inflammatory bowel disease, build bone density, fight allergies, improve lactose digestion, kill candida and assist detoxification. It is also full of healthy fats.

  Kefir grains are a natural culture that you can buy in health-food shops and online – or you can get a ‘starter’ from a friend who has already begun to make kefir. The little creamy coloured grains are not, in fact, grains but cultures of yeast and lactic acid bacteria. When added to milk and left for 24 hours, the microorganisms in the grains multiply and ferment the sugars in the milk, turning it into kefir. The grains are then removed from the thickened liquid and can be used again to make further batches.

  Kefir can be made using the milk from cows, sheep, goats and also coconut milk. The method is the same whether you use dairy or coconut milk, although if you are making coconut kefir you need to make a batch of dairy milk kefir every 6–8 batches to keep the grains producing. Remarkably, another benefit of drinking kefir is that the little grains feed off the lactose in the dairy milk, so by the time it’s ready almost no lactose remains in the kefir, which is great for people who are sensitive to lactose. The coconut kefir, of course, is completely lactose free. Milk kefir has the consistency of buttermilk. It’s quite sour and a little fizzy and tangy.

  Once you have a batch underway, you can ferment it for the recommended time, then strain and use as it is or you can also do a second ferment to add a secondary flavour. Ke
fir is amazing in smoothies, soups, sauces, homemade ice cream, baking and marinades. You can make soft kefir cheese from the curds, use the whey to make lacto pickles and bake bread with it. Order some of these miracle grains today, roll up your sleeves and get involved. You will love it, I promise.

  EQUIPMENT

  2 x 500ml glass jars, sterilised

  1 plastic-mesh sieve (you can’t use a metal one)

  1 wooden or plastic spoon (not metal)

  TO MAKE THE KEFIR

  2 tablespoons milk kefir grains

  500ml non-homogenised whole milk, preferably raw and organic if you can find it, or coconut milk

  Pop the milk kefir grains into the jar and pour over the milk. Give the mix a good stir with a wooden spoon and then either place a circle of baking paper over the top and secure it with a rubber band or screw the lid onto the jar.

  Allow the kefir to ferment for 12–36 hours on your worktop. Giving it a good shake or stir a couple of times during the fermenting process helps to keep the mix evenly fermenting and seems to speed up the process a little.

  Once the kefir starts to separate, that’s a sign it is ready – even a bit over-ready. At this point, just strain off the grains using the plastic sieve, decanting the kefir itself into a new jar and store in the fridge until you are ready to use it. You can now make a second batch with the strained grains (there’s no need to clean them) using the second sterilised jar.