Whipped Butter from Atelier September

SERVES 4:

1 cup (250g) unsalted butter, at room
temperature
¼ cup (50ml) buttermilk
½ teaspoon (2.5g) salt

Use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or use a hand mixer to whip the butter for about 10 minutes, until it is light and foamy. Add the buttermilk and salt and keep whipping. The texture should be like heavy whipped cream or lighter—it might take another 5 minutes. Keep at room temperature until serving.

Adapted from Atelier September— A Place for Daytime Cooking, published by Apartamento.

Q&A: Frederik Bille Brahe

The whipped butter mound at Atelier September is something of an icon in Copenhagen’s food scene. How did it come about?

I needed to make butter interesting for me to work with as it’s difficult to avoid when you have a restaurant. I learned from the best that whipping butter with buttermilk gives it depth and acidity, as well as a beautiful fluffy texture. Suddenly, butter became something I could play with. 

What do you add it to?

The flavor is everything. Our whipped butter started at Apollo Bar and was later added to a variety of dishes at Atelier September—not only as companion for sourdough bread but also served on porridge and used for frying omelets. Whipping butter creates a beautiful fluffy texture.

Do you have any serving suggestions?

It needs to be room temperature. You could use huge amounts to shape something fun and beautiful, like a cloud of butter. I personally love to scrape some onto the edge of a plate or into a scallop shell. It’s very dreamy.