A pat of aromatic, flavored butter is an easy way to transform a ho-hum dish to something extraordinary.
The most common flavored butter, also known as compound butter, may be maitre d’hotel butter, a mixture often served in restaurants using a stick of butter and 1 tablespoon each of parsley and lemon juice. The butter goes well with everything from warm bread and steamed vegetables to steak and chicken.
But maitre d’hotel butter is just the beginning. Almost any ingredient can be mixed with butter to create a compound butter - nuts, herbs, vegetables such as onions and radishes, wine, juices, fruit preserves, chocolate and even seafood.
When it comes to flavoring butter, here are a very few rules to keep in mind:
Always wait until the butter has softened before trying to mix it with other ingredients.
If you use salted butter, taste the mixture before adding any salt called for in the recipe and adjust the amount as necessary.
To avoid runny butter, reduce liquids to a concentrate before mixing. For best results, cook the liquid in a small saucepan until ½ cup is reduced to about 1 to 2 tablespoons.
Lucy Vaser firer offers these tips in her new book Flavored Butters (Harvard Commons Press, $12.95):
To shape the butter into logs: Transfer the mixed butter to a sheet of parchment paper, roll tightly into 1 ½ -inch thick log, using a straight edge to keep it even. Twist both ends of the parchment to secure (slipping the log into an empty paper towel tube will help keep it round) and refrigerate until firm.
Tightly wrapped, the butter will keep in the refrigerator for several days or frozen for several weeks.
To serve, slice the butter using a warm knife. To warm the blade, run hot water over it, then dry with a clean towel.
Garlic is probably the most common ingredient used to flavor butter, but rather than using garlic powder or raw garlic, we like the subtle, nutty flavor of roasted garlic.
This butter is good on almost anything - slathered on crusty Italian bread, melted as a dipping sauce for steamed artichokes, served with seafood or even as a simple sauce to toss with pasta.
Roasted Garlic-Basil Butter 1 whole head garlic Olive oil ½ cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut off pointed end of garlic bulb, exposing cloves. Drizzle garlic bulb with olive oil. Wrap bulb in aluminum foil. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes; cool.
When cool enough to handle, squeeze garlic from bulb; mash half of the roasted garlic to form a paste. Reserve remaining half for another use.
In a small mixing bowl, combine butter, garlic and basil.
Beat with a wooden spoon or a standing mixer with a paddle attachment until thoroughly incorporated. Use immediately or form into a log, wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper and chill until firm.
Makes about ½ cup.
Variation: For Roasted Garlic-Rosemary Butter, use 1 teaspoon of minced fresh rosemary in place of the basil.
Vaserfirer suggests serving the butter with pork chops, lamb chops or mashed potatoes.
Variation from Flavored Butters by Lucy Vaserfirer
For a more pronounced rosemary flavor without the garlic, this rosemary butter is delicious spread on fresh baked bread or tossed with steamed potatoes.
Rosemary Butter 1 stick unsalted butter, at
room temperature 1 to 2 large sprigs fresh
rosemary, woody stem
removed
In a small bowl, using a wooden spoon or a standing mixer with a paddle attachment, mix ingredients until thoroughly incorporated. Use immediately or form into a log, wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper and chill until firm.
This butter is our go-to for dressing up just about any vegetable.
Lemon-Marjoram Butter ½ cup (1 stick) butter,
softened◊teaspoon dry mustard 1 ½ teaspoons dried marjoram Lemon juice, to taste Freshly ground black pepper,
to taste
In a bowl, combine ingredients. Use immediately or form into a log, wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper and chill until firm.
This sweet and spicy butter is delicious on steamed green beans and on corn on the cob, but it really shines with carrots and sweet potatoes.
Spiced Molasses Butter ½ cup (1 stick) butter,
softened 2 teaspoons mild molasses 1 teaspoon ground coriander Salt, to taste◊teaspoon ground red pepper
(cayenne)
Combine ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
Makes about ½ cup.
Recipe adapted from The Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen Grilling Cookbook
This chili-powder-and-lime-flavored butter is delicious on ears of corn on the cob or pan-seared kernel corn.
Chili-Lime Butter ¼ cup butter, softened 2 teaspoons chili powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon freshly grated lime
zest In a small bowl, combine ingredients. Use immediately or form into a log, wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper and chill until firm.
Makes about ¼ cup.
This butter, spread on French bread and then topped with melted Gruyere cheese, is reminiscent of French onion soup.
Caramelized Onion Butter 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
into crescent moons ½ cup (1 stick) butter,
softened ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, or to
taste Heat a medium saute pan over medium-low heat. Add oil and onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 50 to 55 minutes or until onion is deep golden brown. Let cool to room temperature.
Combine the cooled onions with the softened butter and salt in a food processor or with an electric mixer until smooth.
Form into a log, wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper and chill until firm.
Makes about ¾ cup.
Recipe adapted from Flavored Butters by Lucy Vaserfirer Traditional basil pesto is made with olive oil, but this version uses creamy butter instead. Serve it with baked fish or toss with pasta.
Pesto Butter ½ cup butter, softened 1 ½ cups lightly packed fresh
basil leaves ½ ounce freshly grated
parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons pine nuts OR
finely chopped walnuts OR
pecans 1 clove garlic, finely grated◊teaspoon kosher salt Combine ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Form into a log, wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper and chill until firm.
Makes about 1 cup.
Recipe adapted from Flavored Butters by Lucy Vaserfi rer
This smoky-hot butter is delicious on grilled steak, salmon and shrimp.
Chipotle Butter 4 chipotle peppers in adobo ½ cup (1 stick) butter,
softened 1 clove garlic, finely grated ¼ teaspoon kosher salt Generous pinch ground cumin
Force the chipotle peppers through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the skins and seeds.
Mix ingredients in a medium bowl. Form into a log, wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper and chill until firm.
Variation: For Chipotle-Lime Butter, add 2 teaspoons lime juice and 1 teaspoon lime zest.
Recipe adapted from Flavored Butters by Lucy Vaserfirer
Try this savory butter on aromatic rice such as jasmine or basmati.
Coriander-Tomato Butter ½ cup (1 stick) butter,
softened 2 teaspoons coriander seeds,
toasted and ground (see
note) ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds,
toasted and ground (see
note) 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 clove garlic, finely grated Salt, to taste
In a medium bowl, blend ingredients.
Form into a log, wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper and chill until firm.
Note: To toast, heat a small, heavy skillet (don’t use a nonstick coated one) over high heat. Add the coriander and cumin and toast, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes or until fragrant. Transfer to a small bowl and cool to room temperature. Grind in a spice mill.
Recipe adapted from Flavored Butters by Lucy Vaserfirer
For a sweet treat in the morning, fruit-infused butter hits the spot. Any flavor of jam, marmalade or jelly works well here. Consider spreading this butter on biscuits, scones or even pancakes.
Bed and Breakfast Fruit Butter ½ cup (1 stick) butter,
softened ¼ cup fruit preserves, any
flavor
In a medium bowl, mix the butter and preserves. Form into a log, wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper and chill until firm.
Makes about ¾ cup.
Recipe adapted from Flavored Butters by Lucy Vaserfirer
We especially like the sweet-spicy combination of this riff on Bed and Breakfast Fruit Butter.
Red Pepper Jelly Butter ½ cup (1 stick) butter,
softened ¼ cup red pepper jelly
In a medium bowl, blend the butter and jelly. Form into a log, wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper and chill until firm.
Makes about ¾ cup.
Recipe adapted from Flavored Butters by Lucy Vaserfirer
This all-in-one toast topper is our favorite way to make cinnamon toast.
Brown Sugar-Cinnamon Butter ½ cup (1 stick) butter,
softened 2 tablespoons brown sugar ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Combine ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well.
Use immediately or form into a log, wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper and chill until firm.
Makes about ½ cup.
Food, Pages 29 on 04/24/2013