Vanilla is normally used for sweet things – except in Indian cooking where it’s often used with savoury food.  Butter sauce is one of those things that everyone makes at one time or another – it’s served with prawns, shrimps, crayfish, steaks, snails … you name, butter sauce improves it.  We all know the lemon, herb, wine, champagne and garlic versions and we all love them but few of us make the vanilla butter sauce which is absolutely delicious with fish or shellfish! Granted vanilla is expensive but so is butter and for those special occasions this sauce may just be the thing and your meal will, most certainly, not be forgotten.

We came across this recipe and tried it – it’s really worth making!

Ingredients

• 1 vanilla pod, split lengthways
• 2 shallots, vry finely choppedc
• 480 ml very good dry white wine
• 1 tsp French wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp double cream or very thick cream
• 100 g ice cold butter
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

• Put the shallots in a pan with the vanilla pod, the wine and the vinegar and bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid has reduced by two thirds.
• Add the cream and stir very well and then bring mixture back to a simmer.
• Cut the cold butter into pieces and add to the sauce, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens.
• Remove from heat and remove the vanilla pod, scraping the seeds into the butter sauce, season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately with fish, shellfish or whatever seafood you’re serving.