How to Make Compound Butter
[Photographs: Kumiko Mitarai]
Mmm, butter. So good in so many forms: in baking, in frying, clarified, browned. This week I've been appreciating it in its fresh form. There's nothing like a pat of butter melting away on top of something you're about to sink your teeth into. And when you add a few flavorful ingredients to it, you've got compound butter.
Making compound butter is an easy and practical way of layering on buttery goodness along with fresh herbs, aromatic spices, a little kick, or a hint of sweetness.
I don't have a backyard myself, but I hope to be BYOCBing it this summer and adding compound butters to grilled meats and vegetables. Even indoors, they are great on fish, steaks, steamed vegetables, warm breads, or stirred into a pan sauce.
If you've never made compound butter before, this slideshow will give you the basic guidelines and a few suggestions for getting started. After you watch it, poke around your fridge and pantry. There's probably a new combination waiting to be made—let us know what you would make!
About the author: Kumiko writes the blog Recipe Interrupted. She believes that having a few cooking techniques under your belt can help make home cooking creative and easy, and is excited to share these basics here on her regular column Technique of the Week. A graduate of Brown University, the Institute of Culinary Education, and a mother of two hungry girls, Kumiko is always trying to keep her Brooklyn kitchen smelling of something good.
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19 Comments:
My bf makes a crazy compound butter with chipotle chillis in it.
It makes any boring steak sing.
oh_no_eric at 8:44AM on 04/19/10
I honestly never considered doing this myself before. It seems like such an easy way to punch up a recipe and impress your guests. I love easy tips like this. It occurs to me also that a pat of compound butter would be a wonderful ingredient if you are cooking En Papillote. I am going to combine slideshows and go crazy tonight!
Sadie25 at 9:22AM on 04/19/10
Go for it, Sadie25! And let us know how it goes. With all the compound butters in my fridge I am definitely appreciating how easy it is to 'punch up' a quick dinner. Simple steamed vegetables or a basic pasta dish moves up a few notches with a well-paired compound butter.
Kumiko Mitarai at 11:17AM on 04/19/10
I love compound butters. So easy to make and everybody thinks it's special. I especially like to make fresh herb and shallot or garlic butters. Great on meats, seafood, rice, potatoes, pasta, swirled into hot vegetables, in eggs and bread, of course.
CJ McD at 4:12PM on 04/19/10
Rolling and chilling it is nice. But for ease, I usually fill tiny bowls (the kind used for mis en place) or ramekins, then chill.
CJ McD at 4:15PM on 04/19/10
Loving the sound of a roasted garlic, vanilla bean and bourbon butter....any suggestions on how to make it?
trenchant_lobster at 6:54PM on 04/19/10
I did it with:
- One stick of butter,
- 1 head of roasted garlic (To prepare garlic, cut off the tips of the cloves, drizzle the garlic head with a bit of oil, sprinkle on salt, wrap in aluminum foil, roast at 325F for about 45 minutes - 1 hour. When it's cool enough to handle, squeeze out the soft and caramelized garlic like toothpaste. I then passed the garlic through a sieve to get the consistency very fine. You could also mash it with a fork.)
- Scrapings from 1/2 of a vanilla bean that had soaked in bourbon for at least 24 hours. (I used the other 1/2 of the bean for a cardamom-vanilla butter that probably could've also used some ginger.)
- A few drops of bourbon (probably about 1/4 teaspoon)
- Salt
Enjoy!
Kumiko Mitarai at 8:18PM on 04/19/10
can an immersion blender be used here?
downwithcondiments at 10:47PM on 04/19/10
thanks Kumiko, I'll be making that later!
trenchant_lobster at 3:06AM on 04/20/10
@downwithcondiments: hmm, interesting question...
The heat generated from the immersion blender would probably soften the butter quite a bit by the time the ingredients were well incorporated. That might be fine if you want to put the compound butter in a small ramekin and use it as a spread. Rolling it up in parchment, though, would be messy.
Hope that's helpful.
Kumiko Mitarai at 10:34AM on 04/20/10
oh_no_eric -that sounds amazing! I'm so trying that.
StoutHearted at 4:48PM on 04/20/10
i feel like i mentioned this in another thread so i may be repeating myself, but i made a compound butter with just cilantro, lime juice, and lime zest mixed into softened butter and it was the hit of a bbq -- people slathered it on everything from the corn on the cob to the steak to the potatoes! ridiculously easy.
megannesta at 8:10PM on 04/20/10
@megannesta that sounds great. I wasn't even thinking corn on the cob. This is so going to be my new thing!
Sadie25 at 8:47PM on 04/20/10
i made a garlic/parsley/lemon zest butter the other night for tilapia and it was BANGIN'....
laurbelle2 at 2:49PM on 04/21/10
Compound butters are also great for stuffing under the skin of a chicken or turkey before roasting. The options are really endless - my favorite though:
- Grind dried porcini mushrooms into a fine powder, fold into the butter with thyme, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, sea salt and pepper. When the roast cooks, the butter melts and the porcini mushrooms rehydrate with the juices from the bird - the smell and flavors are incredibly rich!
Schaf100 at 11:35AM on 04/22/10
I'll have to try compound butter some time. I make butter with heavy cream- it's so easy! Here's how it's done:
[URL removed by moderator per Serious Eats's self-linking policy]
Suzanne41 at 12:16PM on 04/22/10
What does BYOCBing mean?
hiimlauren at 4:29PM on 04/29/10
@hiimlauren: i've got a dorky sense of humor - 'bring-your-own-compound-butter.'
Kumiko Mitarai at 11:01AM on 05/01/10
Loved this article! I just made a compound butter with rosemary, garlic, a bit of lemon zest and a few drops of honey for a roast chicken (w/ potatoes, carrots and onions) tonight and it was delicious. Can't wait to keep experimenting-- thanks for the great ideas!
shasta0610 at 5:27AM on 05/02/10