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]
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]
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]
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]
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 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]
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