Isigny butter

Beurre d’Isigny

What it is

The appellation covers 175 low-lying communes around the Baie des Veys; the herd must graze at least seven months a year, and each collection must come from a herd at least 30% Normande. The cream is ripened with lactic cultures for at least 12 hours at 9–15 °C before churning, and acidifying the butter any other way is banned: the hazelnut and fresh-cream notes come from that ripening, not from added flavour. Grass carotenoids turn it buttercup yellow in the grazing season, ivory in winter.

In the kitchen

The shop block is for the table and for finishing sauces; for croissants or puff pastry look for the 'tourage' version, which the specification allows to be crystallised so it rolls out without melting. Keep it tightly wrapped: butter takes up fridge smells.

Goes with

Radish Potato Dover sole Scallop Shallot White wine vinegar Leek Apple

Same species

Abura-kasu Amourettes (spinal marrow) Spider steak Bastourma Flank steak Beef

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