Softened, grass-fed butter and a variety of aromatics, like herbs, garlic, onions, dried fruits, and jams, can transform already extraordinary butter into a flavor bomb staple you’ll always want to have on hand. When blended together, the mixture is called “compound butter,” and it can be used to easily infuse flavor into anything and everything.
Low-moisture or dried add-ins work best, although the butter will gladly accept small amounts of honey, maple syrup, bacon drippings, jams and jellies or pureed vegetables, and the small amount of moisture in freshly minced herbs and vegetables before the integrity of the butter texture is compromised.
Compound butters can be savory or sweet, and slathered on meats, fish, or poultry before baking or roasting; melted in a sauté pan for pan-seared vegetables, meats, or fish; used as the base of a roux; used in baked goods in place of plain butter; browned and added to popcorn or nuts; or simply spread over your favorite rolls, breads, pancakes, or biscuits.
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Herbed Compound Butter
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: about 1 cup 1x
Description
Softened, grass-fed butter, and a variety of aromatics, like herbs, garlic, onions, dried fruits, and jams, can transform already extraordinary butter into a flavor bomb staple you’ll always want to have on hand. When blended together, the mixture is called “compound butter,” and it can be used to easily infuse flavor into anything and everything.
Ingredients
- 2 sticks salted, grass-fed butter, softened
- 1 large garlic clove, finely minced
- 1 tbsp. finely minced red onion
- 1 tsp. minced fresh parsley
- 1 tsp. minced fresh thyme
- ¼ tsp. gray sea salt
- ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium bowl stir together butter, garlic, onion, parsley, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- Transfer mixture to a ramekin, or shape into two logs and wrap in parchment. Refrigerate, covered, 2 hours or until firm.
Notes
For honey-garlic butter, mix together butter, 1 minced garlic clove, 2 tbsp. local honey, and ½ tsp. yellow or grainy mustard.
For garlic bleu cheese butter, mix together butter, 1 minced garlic clove, ½ cup bleu cheese crumbles.
For cranberry-orange butter, mix together butter, ¼ cup minced dried cranberries, and zest of 1 orange.
For maple butter, mix together butter, 2 tbsp. maple syrup, and ½ tsp. grainy mustard.
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