Butter Board – A Cozy Kitchen

This butter board consists of spreading room temperature butter onto a board (or plate) and topping it with various toppings. Think of it like a buttery spread that’s the perfect appetizer for a group. The butter board I built consists of roasted garlic, Calabrian chili paste, sweet honey, flakey sea salt and Italian parsley. It’s served with crispy radishes and toasted bread. 

WHAT IS A BUTTER BOARD

The butter board went viral on TikTok by Justine Snacks. She took inspiration from Joshua McFadden from his very popular cookbook. (If you haven’t been to his restaurant, you definitely should, if you’re ever in Portland!) 

The idea is simple: you spread room temperature butter all over a board, top it with lemon zest, onions, fresh edible flowers and/or herbs. It’s meant to be served as an appetizer for a group. And is often times served with your favorite bread or crudite. 

ARE BUTTER BOARDS SANITARY?

Here’s the thing: I think communal boards can be done safely when you add a few butter knives and a stack of small plates or napkins. Signal to your guests: USE THEM! Lol. But I get the push back from some people. And I

personally used a plate because smothering butter on a wooden board felt like it was going to be too much work to clean. Also feel free to use a piece of parchment if you’re using a wooden board. 

HOW TO MAKE A BUTTER BOARD 

1. Start with room temperature butter. You don’t want it to be too softened like how you would want it to make cookies. I think a bit firmer than that is ideal! 
2. For this particular butter board, it requires roasting some garlic. Slice the ends off of two heads of garlic and place in the center of a piece of foil. Drizzle the cut side with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Wrap it up and transfer it to a 350F oven to roast for about 45 minutes. 
3. When the roasted garlic has cooled (you don’t want to add it to the butter if it’s hot because it’ll melt the butter), squeeze out the cloves and set them aside. 
4. To assemble the board, add the butter in an even layer to a serving board or flat plate. Add a few pieces of garlic to the butter. I added it around the butter. 
5. Top with a few dollops of Calabrian chili pate. A drizzle of honey. A sprinkling of flakey sea salt. And top it with some fresh parsley leaves. 
6. I like to serve this with quartered radishes and some pieces of toasted bread. 

OTHER BUTTER BOARD COMBINATIONS

I went with a combination of sweet and spicy. I like the idea of switching it up and here are some ideas I was toying with: 

• HAM AND BUTTER: Go the French-inspired route by doing room temperature butter, slices of thin ham and sliced cornichons. It’s a simple combination of fat, flavor with a punch of brininess. 
• FIGS AND HONEY: Figs are thriving right now so I think a combination of room temperature butter, sliced figs, honey with a bit of fresh thyme would be delicious. 
• TOMATO CONFIT: Make some tomato confit. Spread some butter the board, top with roasted tomatoes, a little basil and flakey salt. 

If you make this Butter Board, let me know on Instagram!

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