What is marmite?
Those who are not native to the UK may be unfamiliar with this polarizing British staple. Marmite, a yeast by-product from beer brewing, is a thick umami-rich paste often spread thinly on toast. Not everyone is a fan of this condiment but those who do love the dark spread add a little bit of marmite to anything and everything including cheese sandwiches, sausage rolls, snack foods, or even drink it as a tea diluted with hot water.
Is marmite good for you?
Marmite is fortified with a variety of vitamins and minerals and remains an excellent source of B vitamins, Vitamin B12 in particular. Be warned though, that despite this vegan-friendly condiment being a rich source of vitamins and minerals, it does contain an extravagant amount of sodium. So, spread carefully and remember-just a little marmite can go a long way.
Why add the sugar to the compound butter?
I will be honest with you. I, like most Americans who first begrudging tastes marmite was not a fan. The initial flavor was pleasingly salty but soon left an almost licorice-like bitter aftertaste. It took a little while to realize that like most things with a concentrated flavor, you only need a little for flavoring and a tad bit of sugar to help soothe the bitterness, almost like adding sweetener to coffee. The end result is a fully-developed flavor that takes you on a journey from the first bite to the last mouthful.
This recipe for a compound marmite butter keeps the ratio of marmite to butter relatively low (12:1) in an attempt to help heighten the essential umami flavor of the marmite while trying to subside the bitter aftertaste of the condiment. I highly recommend making this compound marmite butter to be generously spread on homemade bread or another high-quality crusty loaf.
Tasty Marmite Butter Spread
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 tbsp 1x
Description
This compound butter made with marmite and a touch of sugar pairs excellently with hearty homemade bread. #butter #bread #marmite
Ingredients
4 tbsp of lightly salted butter (room temperature)
1 tsp marmite
1/4 – 1/2 tsp of white sugar
Instructions
- Mix room temperature butter with 1 tsp of marmite and 1/4 tsp – 1/2 tsp of white sugar. If you like something saltier, keep the sugar to 1/4 tsp but if you find the mixture a bit bitter, add 1/2 tsp of white sugar.
- Mix until thoroughly combined then zap in the microwave or add to a hot oven and let cook for about 10 seconds or until glossy and brown.
- Mix again and served with a good slice of bread.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 sec
- Category: butter
- Method: mix
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: marmite, butter, spread, British, recipe
If you like this tasty Marmite butter recipe, try these British recipes
