Garlic Herb Compound Butter
Compound butter is simply softened butter folded with aromatics, rolled into a cylinder, and chilled until firm enough to slice. It turns a basic steak or roasted vegetable into a focused meal by melting directly onto the heat of the food.
Temperature is your only hurdle.
Your butter must be soft enough to press with a finger, but not greasy or melted; pull it from the fridge an hour before you begin.
- Mixing bowl
- Silicone spatula
- Parchment paper
- Sharp chef's knife
What goes in.
- 1 cupunsalted butter, softened
- 3 clovesgarlic, grated into a paste
- 2 tbspfresh parsley, finely minced
- 1 tbspfresh chives, minced
- 1/2 tspflaky sea salt
- 1/4 tspcracked black pepper
Tension and Shape
Use the edge of your parchment paper to fold the butter over itself repeatedly, creating a firm, tight log that keeps the herbs evenly distributed.
The method.
Prepare the aromatics
Mash the garlic with the salt on your cutting board using the flat side of your knife until it reaches a smooth, wet paste consistency.
Combine
In the mixing bowl, use the spatula to fold the butter, garlic paste, herbs, and pepper together until the streaks of green are uniform throughout.
Shape
Spoon the butter onto the center of a sheet of parchment paper. Roll it into a log, twist the ends like a candy wrapper, and push the ends toward the center to tighten the roll.
Chill
Place in the refrigerator for at least one hour to allow the flavors to bloom and the fat to reset.
Other turns to take.
Lemon Zest
Add one teaspoon of fresh lemon zest to brighten the profile for fish or asparagus.
Chili Heat
Fold in a half-teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes for a subtle warmth.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always mince your herbs dry; moisture clinging to the leaves will make the butter separate.
Keep a log in your freezer; you can slice a disc off the frozen end directly onto a hot pan.
Grating garlic on a microplane is superior to chopping, as it distributes the flavor without leaving large, pungent chunks.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use salted butter?
You can, but adjust the added salt down significantly to avoid an over-seasoned end product.
How long will this last?
It keeps for one week in the refrigerator or three months in the freezer.
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