Compound Butters – Garlic Butter & Way Beyond!
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Compound butters are so flexible, both in what they are flavoured with and what you do with them. I make lots of these. As this blog and indeed my entire cooking philosophy are based on spontaneity and using what’s available these, once again, are not recipes but ideas and guidelines – use your own taste buds!
But first the basics, it’s not complicated – mix your chosen flavourings into soft butter, tasting and seasoning as you go!
Garlic Butters
~ Mix a little crushed fresh garlic (garlic is less bitter if you remove the green germ/sprout in the middle of the clove before crushing), salt and pepper to taste and perhaps a little parsley or mixed herbs.. Parmesan is good mixed into this too.
Roasted Garlic Butter
See here for roasted garlic details and mix not only a soft and delicious roasted garlic clove but also a little of the garlicky oil into the butter. Add salt to taste and a generous amount of black pepper which goes well with the roasted garlic taste.
Roasted Garlic & Blue Cheese Butter
As above but crumble and mix in a little blue cheese of your choice.
Black Garlic Butter
See here for how to make and use black garlic butter.
Wild garlic and smoked garlic also make good compound butters.
Chilli Butters
There are lots of forms of chilli that work well in a compound butter; fresh chilli, hot sauce, cayenne, chilli pickle, chipotle paste are all options – you get different results but they’re all good!
Lemon (or Lime) Butter
This one goes beautifully with fishy things; fish pâté, potted shrimp, crab paste etc. etc. Use the finely grated zest and the juice remembering to zest first and then squeeze the juice; it’s easier that way. Season to taste; pepper goes well with this and parsley or dill looks pretty and taste good.
Herb Butters
It is better to use fresh herbs, finely chopped, than dried but, if you do use dried herbs, remember they are much stronger tasting and you need less.
For instance …
~ Fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves and lime zest plus a hint of chilli – this is great with Mexican beany dishes.
~ Fresh mint for lamb.
~ Basil and sun-dried tomatoes, maybe Parmesan too.
Caramelised Onion Butter
Cook thinly sliced onions very gently in oil or butter till utterly soft then stir over higher heat till turning golden and sticky – see here for the best way to cook onions (honestly!) inclding caramelising them.
Cool then stir these gorgeous onions into the butter. This is extra good with blue cheese and/or black pepper added to it.
Bacon Butter
It’s best to use unsalted butter for this as the other ingredient is Bacon Salt (recipe here) which is lovely and veratile and well worth making. Add a bit taste, add a bit taste, and so on till the butter is perfect!
Ham/Chorizo/Prosciutto Butter
Unsalted butter again – finely, finely chopped deli meats mixed into the butter.
Anchovy Butter
Best to use unsalted butter for this too. Mix in drained oil packed anchovies, maybe a little garlic plus black pepper and lemon zest. Good on fish.
Black Pepper Butter
Well, you know, just add a generous amount of freshly ground and preferably crunchy black pepper to the butter and then add salt to taste.
As you can see this is very flexible and I could go on for ever! Just add herbs, spices, cheese, zest, mustard, tapenade or whatever to soft butter and go for it. Tell me what you come up with!
Storing Compound Butters
~ Spread a square of clingfilm (saran wrap) onto the counter.
~ Scrape the soft and tasty butter into sausage about 30mm from and parallel to one edge.
~ Lift that edge and use the film to roll and shape the butter into a cylinder.
~ When satisfied roll the butter in the rest of the clingfilm and twist the ends to secure.
~ Chill or freeze until needed.
~ Use a hot knife to slice cold or frozen butters.
Ideas for Compound Butters
~ Hot breads, like garlic bread only different
~ Top steaks and grilled fish
~ Add to mashed potatoes or fill baked potatoes
~ Swirl into soups
~ Corn on the cob
~ Melt on hot freshly cooked vegetables
~ Toss with freshly popped popcorn
~ Add a knob of appropriately flavoured butter to pan sauces (which are so quick and easy!).
Sweet Compound Butters
See here for some quick, easy and delicious sweet compound butters ~ recipes for salted caramel butter, chocolate butter, brandy butter and lots more plus ways to use them.
Suzy Bowler
Having been a somewhat itinerant chef for over 30 years I was amazed, on my return to the UK, at the blatant food waste that now seems to be rife in the country; amazed and irritated. So much so that I decided to start a blog about spontaneous cooking from leftovers to show people that there are great alternatives to throwing food away.
