Foo - How do you make butter-sauce?

I'm in a predicament. I asked my fiance what she wanted for dinner, since it's gonna be valentines when she comes back. Among other things, she wanted some noodles with "butter-sauce" and mentioned all I needed was butter and some grounded garlic seasoning.

OK, I have the noodles on the stove, I have the butter and the garlic. But I'm not sure how to do it:

1) Melt butter in microwave, sparkle some garlic, and pour it over the noodles in the plate, after they are cooked and served?

2) Put some butter and garlic on the pot where I'm cooking the noodles right now?

Rube,

Medium hot pan.

Big chunk of butter.

White wine.

A pinch of salt.



Reduce the wine and as it's cooling maybe some herbs. If they're dry herbs go light.

Oh yeah, the garlic, too.

Roger... I haz wine...

Roger... I haz wine...

wait... wine not white... does it has to be white?

wait... wine not white... does it has to be white?

yes.

Red wine will make it look funky.

Rosé is too sweet.

Add some parsley for color.

K, found the white one... drank the red one... feel funny... keep on cooking.

What you want is something that is something more than just butter. You need some acid to cut the richness, and something for flavor. What you want is a sauce and not just slightly melted butter (wonderful though it is.).

To begin: unwrap a stick of salted butter and cut it once lengthways. Rotate it one-quarter turn and cut it lengthays once more. Cut across the stick in the thickness of each quarter (ya folla? About 8-10mm). Separate all the pieces so they're not all stuck together, on a plate, and put in freezer for at least half an hour. You want them pretty cold.

Finely mince one shallot and two cloves of garlic. You want all your pieces to be about the size of one of the bigger pinheads, like 2-3mm.

Take a couple-three of the butter chunks and melt in the pan. Right after the butter foams, put in all the shallot and sweat them; just let them get soft and give off some moisture. If things start sizzling too quickly, turn down the heat. Less is more. Be patient.

When all the shallot pieces are soft and translucent, add the garlic and about 1/4-1/3 cup of wine. I like a reasonable Chardonnay, my sister likes Vermouth, and I've seen Champagne and sherry used to good effect. Think about what its going on and plan accordingly. Now, reduce the heat to low (small flame or a step above LOW on an electric, give or take) and this is where 'feel' comes in; I can't explain it beyond the mechanics, some things you just have to learn to do.

You're creating an emulsion here. An emulsion is the surrounding and the surrounded. In this case, the wine is surrounding the butter, even though theres more volume in the butter than the wine. This is alchemy.

Keep the shallot/garlic/wine mixture just at a very low boil, you'll want a smallish pan. Keep the pan on the burner, flat on, and rotate the pan in little circles. Like 2-3 circles a second, fairly quickly. Start adding the very cold lumps of butter, 2 or 3 at a time. When each charge is melted and adsorbed, add a couple more. Keep this up until all the butter's gone. Keep the pan moving continuously through the process.

Add a teaspoon of freshly chopped parsley, and *Immediately* spoon over what it is to be sauced.

Patience is key. If your sauce breaks toward the end, all is not lost. Take a pinch of powdered mustard and whisk it in-- mustard is a powerful emulsifier. Just a pinch, though. Keep you heats down, keep your butter cold, and if you need more explanation, google "Beurre Blanc" and look for a video tutorial. If you *really* screw it up, don't blame me.

I like the Captain's passion about it. I'm almost done... put out the good china and all (sorta):

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn53/RubenX_Longwood/Other/DSCN1547.jpg
Waiting for fiance to show up.

I like the Captain's passion about it. I'm almost done... put out the good china and all (sorta):

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn53/RubenX_Longwood/Other/DSCN1547.jpg
Waiting for fiance to show up.

Probably too late now, but for future romantic dinners, move the table away from the wall, put a candle and or some flowers on it, throw down a table cloth or some non-plastic place matts, dim the lights, serve the food right before eating, and no cell phone, or sliced bread appetizer. Also knife blade should face inwards, unless you are planning to shank someone with it.

^ oh, the cell is there for the music... streaming pandora's soul. Couldn't find the candles. And can't move the table because is a small apartment and would block access to the fridge, where the wine is at... and the dessert.

Passion? You misunderstand me. This is the basics.

But at the end of the day, unless you've burned everything, what you've cooked for her doesn't matter as much as that you've cooked for her. You've done a fine job. Hope she appreciates it.

Still no fiance home yet? Has that been sitting out for 30 minutes now? What happened with the butter sauce?

^ oh, the cell is there for the music... streaming pandora's soul. Couldn't find the candles. And can't move the table because is a small apartment and would block access to the fridge, where the wine is at... and the dessert.

Unless the red you're drinking is a dessert wine, it likely does not need to be in the fridge. Given the shapes of those glasses, just throw in something a little higher octane like a brandy. That'll get the night cooking along.

I just woke up... she loved it :D

A rare happy ending to a Rubenstory tm :love:

Is there going to be another little spawn of Ruben running around within the next year?

Ben,if you were a follower of Rubenstories tm the Rubester did admit in previous posts to creating his own civilization (with help of course).

One wonders if he's an Amishrican?

What, no bacon? You know you love it! Good job.

Did you know that crocus bulbs are a great substitute for garlic or shallot?

Minced crocus bulbs, egg, canned salmon, coarse ground corn, oil and a nice hot pan.

Salmon Croquette! Garnish and Gobble!

If there is something Foo is good at, is making good food.

Did you know that crocus bulbs are a great substitute for garlic or shallot?

I actually did NOT know that. Where can a fella get fresh crocus bulbs though? And doesn't saffron come from crocus too?

Ben,if you were a follower of Rubenstories tm the Rubester did admit in previous posts to creating his own civilization (with help of course).

One wonders if he's an Amishrican?

Rubeville, FL. Population: 73 so far.

I actually did NOT know that. Where can a fella get fresh crocus bulbs though? And doesn't saffron come from crocus too?

Do not trust ahsposo on ANYTHING. I fear he cannot tell shallot from canola.

Do not trust ahsposo on ANYTHING. I fear he cannot tell shallot from canola.

You're right. They look nothing alike.
http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20050616205925/uncyclopedia/images/8/86/Shalit.jpg
vs
http://lisamichele.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/cannoli.jpg?w=550

Rubeville, FL. Population: 73 so far.

I like it!

With Wintergarden classed as "Gods Waiting Room" some youth would be in order.
Yes to Rubeville Florida.

*Hey Rube,
Montreals hopes to the Stanley Cup hinge on an American hombre Scott Gomez.

I actually did NOT know that. Where can a fella get fresh crocus bulbs though? And doesn't saffron come from crocus too?

No, saffron comes from the dried tears of over-worked and under-paid little yellow peoples with too many mouths to feed. A rich man's delight though!

No, saffron comes from the dried tears of over-worked and under-paid little yellow peoples with too many mouths to feed. A rich man's delight though!



Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the saffron crocus. I don't think it actually tastes like much. Smells nice, though.

I'm cheap...

I use Turmeric.