Deep-fried butter is a snack food made of butter coated with a batter or breading and then deep-fried.[1][2] The dish has often been served at fairs in the US; among them, the State Fair of Texas in Dallas, Texas, the South Carolina State Fair, the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa,[1] and County Fairs across Ohio. Roast butter is a similar dish, for which recipes exist dating to the 17th century.[3]
History
United States
Abel Gonzales Jr., also known as "Fried Jesus", of Dallas, Texas, invented deep-fried butter,[4][5] serving it at the 2009 State Fair of Texas in Dallas, Texas. Prepared using frozen, battered butter, it was awarded the "Most Creative food prize" at that time.[1]
A version of deep-fried butter on a stick debuted at the Iowa State Fair 2011,[6][7] which was prepared using frozen butter that is dipped in a honey- and cinnamon- flavored batter, deep-fried until browned, and then topped with a confectioner's sugar glaze.[1] This concoction on a stick was invented by Larry Fyfe, an entrepreneur and concessionaire at the fair.[7] Deep-fried butter has also been served on a stick at the State Fair of Texas.[8]
In 2011 at the Orange County Fair in Costa Mesa, California, deep-fried butter was paired with chocolate-covered bacon and dubbed the "coronary combo." ABC News made a comparison regarding the pricing of this food pairing, stating, "the $10.50 price rivaled some health plans' co-payments for a visit to a cardiologist."[1] This dish has also been served at other events and venues, such as the State Fair of Virginia[9][10] and the Musikfest music festival in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.[11]
The debut of deep-fried butter in 2010 at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto, Canada may have led to a rise in attendance at the event.[12] During the 18-day event in 2010, the concession stand purveying the dish sold 9,000 orders, which equated to 36,000 individual deep-fried butter balls using 800 pounds of butter.[12] The dish was served in portions of four balls at the event, which totaled 315 calories.[12]
United Kingdom
In 2011 in Edinburgh, Scotland, a pub named The Fiddler's Elbow served a dessert dish named "Braveheart Butter Bombs" that consists of deep-fried butter served with ice cream infused with Irn-Bru and coulis.[13] Some critics in Edinburgh have referred to deep-fried butter as a "coronary on a plate", but chefs at the pub have stated that when consumed in moderation it "should be all right".[13] The pub also planned on offering a variation using whisky in place of Irn-Bru.[13]
Characteristics
A cross section view of deep-fried butter at the State Fair of Texas, 2010
Deep-fried butter's flavor was compared to that of French toast, and described as tasting like "the most buttery bread you've ever had".[14]
ABC News called it an "artery-clogging snack."[1] Celebrity chef Paula Deen published a recipe for fried butter balls,[15] which uses a blend of cream cheese and butter that is frozen, coated, frozen again, and then deep-fried.[15] The cooking time in this recipe is short, for only ten to fifteen seconds, whereupon the product attains a "light golden" color.[15]
Roast butter
Roast butter is a similar dish, for which recipes exist dating to the 17th century.[16] The first known recipe for roast butter dates to 1615.[16] Roast butter was documented in the cookbook The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy in 1747.[16] The recipe entailed soaking butter in salted water for a few hours, placing it on a rotisserie ("spit it"), covering it with breadcrumbs and nutmeg, and roasting it under a low fire while continuously covering it with egg yolks and additional bread crumbs.[16] Oysters were recommended to accompany the dish.[16]
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