Butter boards: The new charcuterie?

by Fayeruz Regan Oct 02, 20220 comments

There's a new trend sweeping wood serving boards, and it's not charcuterie-based. Make way for the newest entertaining idea: butter boards.

That's right, you get a nice, hunky slab of butter, soften it, and spread it across a cutting board or wood serving board. But you don't stop there. Dust it with salt (if unsalted butter), fresh chopped herbs, or even edible flowers, for an elegant presentation. A perfect example would be the butter board pictured above, courtesy of The Pioneer Woman.

kerrygold butter

How to make a butter board

1) Start with quality butter

Creamy, salted butter is best, to ensure that every bite is equally salty. And since this butter will be a centerpiece, and not part of a recipe, go for quality butter. Kerrygold from Ireland is a sure bet. So are big blocks of butter - not the ones cut into sticks - from a European brand. These tend to cost a bit more, but are richer in flavor.

2) Grab an elegant piece of wood

Plastic cutting boards won't cut it (the pun stays). We are going for natural. If you don't have a wooden serving board or a treated tree slice, go for your best-looking wood cutting board.

3) Bread matters

I doubt anyone reading this would pull out a soft loaf of white bread to accompany this butter, but in case you were thinking it, just don't. It's too soft to drag through the butter without tearing. And it will look like you are prepping school lunches. Get a nice, crusty French baguette. They are firm and will hold up to the butter board. Not to mention, cosmopolitan and delicious.

4) The toppings

Fresh cut herbs are ideal for taste and presentation, but dried herbs will work in a pinch. If you want to do the extra step of adding edible flowers, be sure to cut them small, so people will find it palatable. And the brighter the color, the better.

herb butter

Tasty butter-herb combinations

Some popular combinations include:

Cilantro lime: Lime zest, a squeeze of lime, chopped roasted garlic, chopped cilantro, with salt and pepper to taste
Italian: Chopped rosemary, basil, oregano and roasted garlic, with salt and pepper to taste
Sun-dried tomato: Chopped sun-dried tomatoes, chives, roasted garlic, with salt and pepper to taste