This little ceramic wonder keeps butter magically soft and spreadable, thanks to a clever water seal. No more uneven chunks, just perfectly smooth, deliciousness. Plus, it's easy to use, beautiful to look at, and perfect for experimenting with flavored butters (think garlic, herbs, spices!).
This post dives into the fascinating history of this unique dish, shares a simple guide to using it, and even throws in a recipe for herb-infused butter. So, ditch the frustration and embrace butter bliss with a touch of French flair!
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Once, like many, I liked the movie “Julie and Julia” about the life of chef Julia Child in the early years of her culinary career with the life of young New Yorker Julie Powell, who aspires to cook all 524 recipes in Child's cookbook in 365 days. It was interesting to learn fun facts about French cuisine. And what is the main and absolutely indispensable component of French cuisine? Of course butter.
And that’s exactly why they invented a French butter dish (also known as butter bell) as the most perfect butter storage of all time!
Do you know the old saying - a shoemaker without shoes? I always dream a lot about making a perfect set of ceramic dishes for myself, but most of the time only dishes with little imperfections end up in the kitchen.
Some while ago I tried to make a French butter dish in my ceramic studio, so I took one to my kitchen as well - to try and test it. And, oh boy, I fell in love with it!
What I’m most excited about is that before trying the French butter dish the butter on the toast ended up in small chunks, but now the butter is soft and can be spread freely. And it also looks beautiful on the kitchen counter.
I also tried experimenting with spices, making spiced butter with herbs - yummm... 🙂 I will only mention that if you add salt to make seasoned butter, you will probably have to keep the container in the refrigerator because the salt makes the butter soft and it slides out of the container.
The French butter dish design is thought to have originated in Vallauris, France. Vallauris is known for its pottery crafts. Others speculate that it was created in Brittany or Normandy—both known for their butter production.
A French butter dish is a container used to maintain the freshness and spreadable consistency of butter without refrigeration. This late 19th-century French-designed pottery crock has two parts: a base that holds water, and a cup to hold the packed butter which also serves as a lid. Water creates an airtight seal that keeps the air away from the butter so that refrigeration is not needed, and the butter can be used in its soft form. This method will keep butter for around a month provided it is kept at temperatures below 80 °F (27 °C) and the water is changed regularly (at least once a week).
Here is a simple guide to how to use my French butter dish:
I tried to make some seasoned butter too.
I kept the butter at room temperature for a while, so that it became soft and nice. I added fresh chopped dill and parsley and a little bit of sea salt to the butter in a bowl, mixed it and filled it in a dish! Easy, but so delicious. You can also try the same method with smoked paprika seasoning or other herbs from your garden.
Trust me, the sandwiches will be tastier, but if you make your own bread - oh heaven!
I still want to try butter with garlic… I will let you know how it turned out.
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Hi, one day I want to become a pottery mug!
It all starts with wet clay, a ball is formed from long wedging.
This is my favorite part - Throwing on the pottery wheel. It's like meditation - you can't sit angrily at the wheel.
Now the cup can rest until the next day!
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