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]

Canada

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

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]

See also

• Fried Coke – introduced by inventor Abel Gonzales, Jr. at the 2006 State Fair of Texas ^{[4] [17] [18]}
• List of deep fried foods

References

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Deep-fried butter.

• "Heart attack snack: deep-fried butter on a stick". CBS News. August 10, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2015.