The only reason I attached one muscle to this recipe (considering all you really need is a good finger to turn on the food processor), is because you will need to really squeeze the butter, wrapped in a kitchen towel, to remove any excess liquid. This butter will, I trust, make you and yours very (very) happy… Enjoy. Oh, and to see a preview of me making fresh butter, click here.
When using best quality aromatic dried herbs, they are about three times as potent as fresh. Use 1 teaspoon of a fragrant dried and crumbled herb to 1 rounded tablespoon minced fresh.
Any time I’ve suggested a tool, a piece of equipment, or a culinary term that’s unfamiliar to you, you can go to Learn to Cook for more information.
Place cream and salt into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade (or use a blender or heavy mixer). Whip cream until the pure butterfat separates from the milky whey, 4 to 7 minutes (this will take longer if not using a food processor). It’s finished when the mixture sounds very slushy as the liquid splashes against the sides of the bowl. When you stop the machine, the butter will be a separate mass surrounded by a shallow pool of milky liquid. Pour this mixture into a fine-mesh strainer and shake until most of the liquid has drained out. Fold a clean, strong cotton or linen kitchen towel in half and dump the butter onto the center. Gather the ends of the towel and firmly squeeze to remove any excess buttermilk.
Transfer butter to an attractive 1-cup crock or ramekin and, using the towel, pat off any remaining beads of liquid. Brush the top with a decorative comb or the tines of a fork and, if desired, sprinkle the top lightly with Kosher or sea salt. Either use the butter immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. For best consistency, always bring butter close to room temperature before serving as a spread.
Transfer the finished butter into the cleaned and dried bowl of the food processor; add a few tablespoons of your favorite preserves, process until smooth and spread on fresh biscuits or plain toast. Or, add to the butter a combination of chopped fresh or crumbled dried herbs, minced garlic, minced green onion, strained fresh lemon juice and chopped drained capers; serve on top of broiled fresh fish, grilled steak or chicken.