“The fact that butter is made up of so many particles of fat along with a few particles of water makes it incredibly absorbent. Giving you the opportunity to aromatize it with just about anything. In this recipe I added sage to butter, spread it on crostini and topped it with an anchovy. Writing about it makes my mouth water because these powerful and complimentary flavours just do. It is really easy to make, just remember to make the butter at least half a day before you need it.”
These are the words of our friend Alexandra, who cooked a series of herb recipes for some friends of Daphnis and Chloe, during a lovely weekend in Paris.
Time: 45 minutes (+ half day ) / Servings: 35 crostini
Ingredients
1 baguette, sliced and toasted until golden brown
250g unsalted butter (the best you can find), diced in large pieces
8 large tablespoons sage, finely chopped
200g of cured anchovies in olive oil
Making the butter
Add the butter and 7 tablespoons of sage to a small saucepan and put it on medium heat. Allow the butter to melt and while it starts melting mix every so often with a wooden spoon.
Once it is completely melted let it simmer slowly for at least 15 minutes stirring once in a while. Makes sure it does not start turning brown.
Remove from the heat, pour through a sieve into a bowl and mix it well with a spoon. Refrigerate overnight or until it solidifies
To assemble
Remove the butter from the fridge 15 minutes before you want to use it. Spread a generous chunky layer of butter onto the toasted baguette, add an anchovy fillet on top and then sprinkle with a little chopped sage. Arrange on something beautiful and serve as a delicious appetizer!
