FOOD WITH MIGUEL MAESTRE Miguel visits Pierre Issa, better known by his alter ego, Pepe Saya, and the boutique butter-making business he runs. Miguel learns about how Pepe Saya s handmade cultured butter differs in quality and taste and is given a tour through the factory to show how it is made. Then Miguel takes some of Pepe s butter with him and showcases the delicious product in his bread and butter pudding. BUTTER Butter is one of the oldest and most natural foods on the planet and one that has been a part of the human diet for over 6,000 years. Today butter is essentially produced as it always has been, though it s now made from cow s milk instead of that from camel or water buffaloes. Butter gives a rich, creamy taste to everything it touches, whether it is spread on fresh bread, silky mashed potatoes, or flaky pastries. Butter effortlessly carries other flavours, and is often the vehicle for delivering garlic, herbs, citrus or nuttiness to both savoury and sweet dishes. Recent studies reveal just how important butter is to a healthy diet. It supplies our bodies with vitamins and minerals; boosts our immune system; helps hormone production; and supports our bones, organs, and most importantly, our brain.
Australian butter is more yellow than its European counterpart. It is rich in beta-carotine because our cows are mostly pasture fed. Salt can also make butter appear more yellow. Before the widespread industrialisation of the dairy industry, most butter was cultured butter. Back then cream was left to sit out overnight to ferment. Today live cultures are added to the cream to produce cultured butter. The addition of lactic bacteria gives cultured butter a rich buttery scent and tangy flavour that uncultured butter doesn t possess. The bacteria is left to ferment over 24 hours and ripen over 3 weeks. This process adds flavour to the butter and fills it with probiotics so it s better for you and your gut not to mention your tastebuds. Cultured butter is the ultimate butter to cook with, not just serve with bread. When you heat cultured butter its aromas are released. The butter is also perfect for pastry, although the chefs have to slightly alter their recipes to adjust for the different water activity in the butter. PEPE SAYA CULTURED BUTTER Pierre Issa is better known by his alter ego Pepe Saya and the boutique butter-making business he runs. Pepe Saya s handmade cultured butter differs in quality and taste from normal butter. Not only is it made from the best quality Australian cream, fresh from grass-fed dairy cows in Picton, but it is also cultured.
In fact, Pepe Saya is Australia s renowned cultured-butter producer, being sold retail since 2010. Their famed product can be found beside the bread at Rockpool, in cafes all over Sydney and on international Qantas flights. Their boutique approach to butter making is all about homemade. What originated as a one-man operation has developed into a success story. Today Pepe Saya also sells by-products from the butter-making process including crème fraiche, mascarpone, buttermilk and ghee. BUTTER FACTS: Butter is best kept refrigerated at 4C, protected from light and sealed until used as it absorbs odours from other foods. Cultured butter not only has a premium flavour it also gives our bodies a probiotic boost. The milk solids in butter burn at temperatures over 150C, ghee (clarified butter) is better suited to frying as all the milk solids and water are skimmed out. The annual per capita consumption of butter in Australian is around 4kg.
ORANGE & VANILLA BREAD & BUTTER PUDDING Prep time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 45 minutes Serves: 4 Ingredients Stale pastries 2 snails and 2 croissants, cut in half crossways 3 slices of brioche bread 100g butter, plus extra for greasing 500ml milk 200g caster sugar - plus an extra 20g to sprinkle on pastries 4 eggs 1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out ½ cup candied orange peel Custard and icing sugar to serve Method 1. Generously spread the pastries with butter and then line the pie dish with the brioche slices, topping them with the pastries. 2. In a large bowl whisk together the milk, egg yolks, caster sugar and vanilla until sugar has dissolved.
3. Pour the milk mixture over the pastries pressing down the pastries if needed to make space for all of the mixture. 4. Sprinkle with candied orange peel. 5. Bake in a bain marie* in the oven at 140C for 45 minutes or until just set. 6. To finish, sprinkle with additional sugar and caramelise under the grill. *A bain marie is a water bath. This heats the dish at a gentle and uniform heat. It is used for cooking delicate food like custards and terrines. To set up a bain marie place the pie dish into a roasting tray. Fill the roasting tray with boiling water before placing it in the oven to bake. Be careful the water does not leak into the pie dish. WEBLINKS For further information on Pepe Saya take a look at the following website: www.pepesaya.com.au