ANDRÉ BARANOWSKITechniquesBeloved Butter PairingsSure, a drizzle of olive oil in your spring pea soup is swell, but when it comes to this bright-flavored dish, we think a pat of butter is even better; it gives the soup a rich, rounded texture.Methodically eating a steamed artichoke, dunking one leaf after another in melted butter and then scraping away the tender flesh with our teeth, is one of our favorite ways to celebrate spring; the butter complements the vegetable's earthiness and tames its astringency.Saucisson sec (or salami) and butter on a baguette, a bistro snack in France, is a revelatory combination for those unaccustomed to pairing butter with cured meat; the butter softens the meat's sharp flavors and adds another delicious dimension.Few dishes express the understated refinement of Italian cookery better than spaghetti with butter, grated parmigiano-reggiano, and black pepper; butter bridges the nutty-tasting cheese and the pepper's heat to create a whole greater than the sum of its parts.Woodsy-tasting morel mushrooms soak up butter like little sponges when the two ingredients are united in a saute pan. The mushrooms, in turn, release their juices in a deeply flavored sauce.ADVERTISEMENTADADIn the Netherlands and Indonesia (formerly a Dutch colony), white bread with butter and chocolate sprinkles is a favorite breakfast treat. The combination calls to mind a deconstructed pain au chocolat.Nothing satisfies quite like a generous smear of butter on a plain old saltine cracker; it's no-frills bliss.Keep ReadingWe Should All Be Cooking with Fresh TurmericBy ROMY GILLMixed Seed Upside-Down CakeBy ALEX TESTEREHow to Trim an ArtichokeBy SAVEUR EDITORSA Brief Guide to the Wide, Wonderful World of Korean Rice CakesBy JIA H. JUNGHow to Assemble a Showstopping Charcuterie BoardBy GABRIELLA VIGOREAUXHow to Host a Lowcountry Boil, According to an ExpertBy ELLEN FORTThere’s a Lot to Love About NattoBy MEGAN ZHANGPeach and Fennel Salad with Sweet Tea GranitaBy JOEY EDWARDSHow to Clean and Care for Cast Iron PansBy GABRIELLA VIGOREAUXSee AllContinue to Next StoryADVERTISEMENTADAD