Smoky. Spicy. Surprisingly sweet. Whisky refuses to be simplified - constantly surprising the curious to the connoisseur on just how versatile the spirit can be. You’ve tried it in Cranachan, and maybe you’ve even conjured up a homemade whisky sauce. But that’s just the beginning - the first drop in an ocean of flavour and possibility for the water of life.
Whether you’ve not got enough left to whip up one of your favourite whisky cocktails and fancy putting it to good use elsewhere or you’re hoping to impress a dinner guest with some seriously savvy skills, whisky really can be the secret ingredient to bringing flair and flavour to your food.
Compound butter with whisky - a sophisticated finishing touch
Compound butters already feel elegant and elevated - the sort of thing you’d expect in an expensive restaurant or served by someone who really understands flavour with flair. Taken from the French - beurre composé - they’re just essentially butter mixed with other ingredients to add notes of subtle flavours - from herbs to garlic, honey or even sweet notes.
How to make a whisky compound butter
With just about 10 minutes needed of preparation (plus some time to let it chill and settle before serving), whether you’re looking to impress on date night or just experiment with new recipes, whisky compound butters require very little effort but promise a very big impact.
In terms of an actual recipe, there isn’t just one: it’s up to you to explore different herbs, different additions and different whiskies. But here we’ve opted for a Johnnie Walker Black Butter - something that pairs the complexity of the blended scotch with simple herbs and spices that could offer new depths to a range of dishes.
To make this butter, you’ll need:
20-30ml of Johnnie Walker Black Label
One stick of unsalted, softened butter
One teaspoon of freshly chopped thyme
Half a teaspoon of ground black pepper
Pinch of salt.
To make:
In a bowl, mix the butter, Johnnie Walker Black Label, thyme, pepper, and salt - with your hands or with a spoon, really mix the ingredients together
Spoon the butter onto a piece of parchment paper and shape into a long roll - this will be easier to cut later (if you’re feeling really adventurous, you could try different shapes, like love hearts if you’re thinking of using the butter in a romantic dinner date)
Pop it in the fridge to settle and take shape - this could take up to an hour.
How to use a compound whisky butter
Any compound butter - whisky or not - can add new depths of flavour to simple dishes without compromising them, or overpowering them. So you might typically expect for them to be used sparingly on rare steaks, added to fish dishes, or drizzled over hearty vegetables.
When pairing compound butters made with whisky, how you can use it depends on the whisky you’ve chosen. Keep things paired based on the palate. For example, a fruity, honey whisky butter will pair best with breads and pudding whereas a smokier whisky butter could pair wonderfully with red meats and savoury dishes.
The joy is in trialling new combinations and new compound butters, finding something bespoke and built around you and your favourite whisky.
How long does compound butter keep?
If you want to make a few butters at once - a much better version of meal prepping, we can all agree - you can expect a compound butter with fresh herbs and ingredients to last around five days in the fridge. If your recipe just uses things like honey and whisky, you can expect it to last longer.
Whisky glazes - find your flavour
From chicken wings to honeyed ham, a whisky glaze can take any recipe to new levels.
The type of glaze you’ll want to make will depend on several factors, including what sort of flavour you’re hoping for, what sort of dish you’re preparing, and the kind of whisky you’ve chosen to use.
While recipes will inevitably vary - and you actually benefit from trying your own variations - the general idea of making a glaze involves reducing a mixture of whisky, brown sugar and your choice of spices and herbs over heat in a pan until it becomes a thick, sticky syrup.
What you can include in your glaze ranges from sweeteners like honey and pineapple juice to more savoury flavours like soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce.
Whisky glaze pairings and recipes
If you're just getting started, you might want to consider classic whisky flavour pairings when it comes to making glazes.
A bourbon glaze will work best with pork and deep fruit-based dishes (like plums and pears)
A peaty whisky glaze could pair better with seafood, mushrooms, and salty dishes
A spicy whisky glaze - with notes of pepper or warm spices - could pair best with steaks, dark chocolate and nuttier flavours
A lighter, fruitier whisky glaze could pair better with lighter meats like chicken, or creamy desserts.
A classic, simple whisky glaze recipe
For this example, we’re making something that balances flavours and lets the smoothness of a lighter single malt whisky come through. This beginner-friendly recipe means you get a well-rounded glaze suitable for anything from chicken wings to a burger on the grill.
You’ll need:
75-100ml of The Singleton 12
Around 150g of brown sugar
120ml of pineapple juice
60ml soy sauce
Three teaspoons of lemon juice
1-2 teaspoons of garlic (freshly chopped)
To make:
Combine all your chosen ingredients in a saucepan
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it forms a thick syrup-like texture
Take off the heat and let cool slightly before using a brush to glaze as required.
Whisky salt - a pinch of panache
Salt. One little ingredient that makes all the difference. Salt has long been the saviour of many a bland dish, finding ways to awaken slumbering flavours or balancing different notes on the palate. Flavoured salts are easy to make and bring more out of this seasoning - and a whisky flavoured salt is a must-try.
Bourbon salt - a taste of the American South
While you can make any type of whisky flavoured salt, bourbon is often a go-to. The notes of caramel, vanilla, and toasted oak that bourbon gets from the charred American oak casks goes well with the salt, working together for a balanced flavour, rather than anything too salty or too overpowering.
You’ll need:
200ml Bulleit bourbon
Between 100-125g of sea salt flakes
To make:
Reduce bourbon in a pan - this is where you bring it to a boil first and then reduce to a simmer. Leave it simmering on a low heat for around 30 minutes
When the bourbon becomes something of a syrupy consistency, add in your salt and stir thoroughly
Once you’ve stirred in the salt, place the pan or pot into an oven at a very low heat - this should be one of the lowest heat settings
Leave the salty whisky mix to dry out for about 90 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so
When the salt is completely dry, you’ll know as the whisky/syrup-y mix will have been absorbed into the salt. When this is done, let the salt cool and move to a jar or container
Top tip: Why not be both resourceful and pay attention to aesthetics and keep your new whisky salt in the now-empty whisky bottle you used in the recipe.
How to use whisky salt
1) Sprinkle generously over dishes - think about complementing meats like burgers and steak with savoury or spicy whisky salts, but you can also add the seasoning to chicken, roast vegetables or even eggs.
2) Make a signature appetiser - hosting a party or impressing some guests? Place the salt in a dish and pass around on an appetiser tray alongside a selection of well-thought out finger foods. It's a surprisingly impactful addition that will leave a good impression - and could even inspire imitators at future parties.
3) Make your favourite cocktail more of an experience - Whether you feel like impressing a guest or just adding a nice touch to a treat in the evening, you can also a homemade flavoured salt in your cocktails. Consider adding it to a rim on a drink to add new depths and surprising twists.
Explore the world of Malts
The Beginner’s Guide to Different Whisky Types
Whisky Flavours Explored
