When looking up recipes for inspiration for my blog, I often come across ingredient lists where: “unsalted butter”, is always, always! followed by “salt”. Also “put in non-stick frying pan”, followed by “add oil/butter”.
See for instance <a class="go2wpf-bbcode" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href=" http://www.waitrose.com/content/waitrose/en/home/recipes/recipe_directory/p/pan_fried_sea_bream_fillets_with_chilli_lime_butter.A5.html "> http://www.waitrose.com/content/waitrose/en/home/recipes/recipe_directory/p/pan_fried_sea_bream_fillets_with_chilli_lime_butter.A5.html , but there are millions like that.
Is there a good reason to specify unsalted butter when you have to add salt anyway later? Or do these cooks just want to sound fancy/fashionable? And why specify non-stick pans (I’m not keen on them) when they use oil anyway?
Or do they just want to make a simple recipe look complicated?
When looking up recipes for inspiration for my blog, I often come across ingredient lists where: “unsalted butter”, is always, always! followed by “salt”. Also “put in non-stick frying pan”, followed by “add oil/butter”.
See for instance <a class="go2wpf-bbcode" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href=" http://www.waitrose.com/content/waitrose/en/home/recipes/recipe_directory/p/pan_fried_sea_bream_fillets_with_chilli_lime_butter.A5.html "> http://www.waitrose.com/content/waitrose/en/home/recipes/recipe_directory/p/pan_fried_sea_bream_fillets_with_chilli_lime_butter.A5.html , but there are millions like that.
Is there a good reason to specify unsalted butter when you have to add salt anyway later? Or do these cooks just want to sound fancy/fashionable? And why specify non-stick pans (I’m not keen on them) when they use oil anyway?
Or do they just want to make a simple recipe look complicated?
Salt in a frying pan tends to make the food stick more, i.e. more likely to burn.
I don't use a non stick frying pan (there are health concerns about the coating) but I guess some
foods may need some lubrication, e.g. mushrooms to prevent them just steaming rather than frying.
Gosh. I didn't know that. Thanks!
Unsalted butter means you can salt it to your own taste.
Adding oil or butter (or both) to a non-stick pan means you can add it simply for the taste. I have a set of ceramic pans but still often use butter because of the taste.
There is nothing wrong with butter in moderation 
There is nothing wrong with butter in moderation
There's nothing wrong with butter.
Local, seasonal, excellent stuff! We eat lots and are not fat!
It's the sugar and processed foods, as has been said before ....