Making Herb Compound Butter
This is the easiest way to elevate a meal with minimal effort. Keeping a log of flavored butter in the freezer means you have an instant sauce for pan-seared fish or crusty bread ready at a moment's notice.
Temperature control is your only challenge.
If the butter is melted, the herbs will sink to the bottom; if it is too hard, you cannot mix them in. It should be soft enough to indent with a thumb but not oily.
- small mixing bowl
- silicone spatula
- parchment paper
What goes in.
- 1 cupunsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cupfresh soft herbs (parsley, chives, or tarragon), finely minced
- 1/2 tspflaky sea salt
- 1 clovegarlic, grated into a paste
- 1 tspfresh lemon zest
Creating the cylinder
Place your mixed butter in the center of a sheet of parchment. Fold the paper over, use a flat bench scraper or ruler to push against the butter as you roll, tightening the cylinder until it is uniform.
The method.
Prep the herbs
Strip the leaves from the stems. Chop them repeatedly until they are near-minced. Blot them with a dry paper towel if they are damp from washing.
Incorporate
Place the butter in the bowl. Use the spatula to smear it against the sides of the bowl until smooth. Fold in the herbs, garlic, salt, and zest until distributed evenly.
Shape
Scoop the mixture onto the bottom third of your parchment paper. Roll it tightly into a log, twist the ends like a candy wrapper, and tuck them underneath.
Set
Transfer to the refrigerator for at least one hour. Once cold, slice into quarter-inch discs to serve.
Other turns to take.
Red Wine & Shallot
Reduce a half-cup of red wine to a syrup, cool completely, and whisk into the butter with finely minced shallot.
Chili Lime
Swap herbs for lime zest, a pinch of chili flakes, and a few drops of fresh lime juice.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always use unsalted butter so you can control the final salt level yourself.
If the butter becomes too soft while mixing, pop the bowl in the fridge for five minutes and try again.
You can keep these logs in the freezer for up to three months.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use dried herbs?
Dried herbs retain a gritty texture that feels unpleasant in butter. Stick to fresh herbs for this.
How do I make the garlic less sharp?
Grate the garlic into a fine paste rather than mincing it; this disperses the flavor throughout the butter so you do not bite into large, raw pieces.
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