Cumin, za’atar and sumac butter

Method

1. Roughly dice the butter before you begin mixing it with the other ingredients to ensure an even distribution of the flavourings.
2. Put a quarter of the softened butter in a small frying pan over a medium heat and, as soon as it begins to foam, add the seeds, aleppo pepper flakes (if using) and za’atar. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and the cumin seeds have darkened slightly.
3. Leave to cool, then tip the spiced butter mixture into the remaining softened butter, then add the sumac and 1 tsp salt.
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4. To mix, you can either use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to beat the butter and ingredients together (this gives a coarser finish, flecked with spices). Or pop everything in a food processor to whizz all the ingredients into a smooth butter,  or stir ingredients into the butter with a wooden spoon (make sure your butter is super-soft to save on elbow grease).
5. Once your spiced butter is evenly mixed and tastes the way you want it to, it’s ready to use. Or wrap and freeze it, ready to be used whenever a dish needs something extra. Shape the softened butter into a sausage on a sheet of cling film, then wrap it up tightly, securing both ends by twisting or tying a knot. Put it in the freezer, where it will keep for up to 3 months. Whenever you need an instant hit of flavoured buttery goodness, slice off a thick coin or two from frozen, depending on how much you need, then rewrap and return the log to the freezer. Let the coins thaw for 20 minutes at room temperature or put straight in a hot pan to melt and baste whatever you’re cooking.