Butter

Rich, creamy and unbeatably indulgent. Butter provides a fatty mouthfeel that carries other flavours across the palate.

It hits different notes depending on the temperature—cool and silky when solid, nutty and toasted when browned.

Butter gives you vitamin A for healthy skin and good eyesight, and vitamin E to protect your cells.

It's mostly fat, so it's brilliant for helping your body soak up the fat-soluble vitamins from whatever vegetables you're cooking it with. Think of it as a nutrient delivery system.

Look for 'cultured' butter if you want more depth. It has been fermented with live bacteria before churning, resulting in a slightly tangy, more complex flavour.

Always check the salt content. High-quality salted butter (like salted cultured butter) is the king of the table.

Butter absorbs smells like a sponge. Keep it tightly wrapped or in a sealed container away from pungent foods like onions or blue cheese.

It stays perfectly spreadable in a butter dish on the counter for a few days, but for long-term freshness, keep it in the fridge. It also freezes exceptionally well.

Use it for sautéing, enrichment and emulsification. Swirl a cold knob into a sauce at the very end to create a glossy, thick finish.

It is also the foundation of the 'roux' for thickening soups and gravies. If you want to elevate the flavour, cook it until it foams and turns nut-brown to create beurre noisette.