Adding Flavor to Butter

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Slices of compound butter look like pretty mosaics. Top a broiled ﬁllet of ﬁsh or a chicken breast with a slice for a quick, colorful sauce.

additions, as are fresh herbs and distinctively flavored vegetables (scallions, red peppers) or fruits (blackberries, strawberries). To maxi- mize flavor and minimize moisture, grill, smoke, or sauté vegetables before adding them to the butter. No matter what you add, the butter holds together best if the ingredients are puréed or diced fine. Even if you don’t want a tart Adding compound butter, it’s important to blend in a small amount of lemon juice, lime juice, wine, or Just soften vinegar. This acts as a spark on the tongue, encour- aging the flavors to break from the smooth, sweet Flavor and stir butter. For a bright citrus flavor without liquid, sub- stitute zest for juice. Likewise, adding just the right to make amount of salt brings flavors to their peak. SOFT, SWEET BUTTER MAKES IT EASY beautiful Since the main ingredient is butter, use the best. This to Butter means high-quality unsalted butter, which has less compound water, less air, and fresher cream—and it allows you to control the amount of salt in the finished product. butters The first step in making compound butter is softening. There’s no trick to softening butter—just leave it out at room temperature—but don’t let it get too soft. The butter should yield easily but still hold BY RENIE STEVES its shape when pressed with a fingertip. A microwave set on defrost will soften a frozen stick of butter in minutes, but watch carefully; even an extra second can be too long. ompound butter is nothing more than butter C flavored with herbs, fruits, or vegetables. Even though it’s easy to make, it has the reputation of being a project reserved for restaurant chefs. I think that’s because compound butter looks so beautiful. Whether you cut mosaic-like slices or scoop out spheres, guests are amazed to see confetti-like flavorings suspended in butter. Aesthetics aside, compound butters have a very practical purpose: they allow the cook to quickly and easily add a lot of flavor to a dish. A plain chicken Sauté cranberries, breast becomes a one-step main dish when you or other flavorings, sauté it in compound butter, and pastries and sauces before mixing with take on new dimensions of flavor when you substi- butter. This removes tute compound butter for plain. excess water and intensifies the flavors. CHOOSE GUTSY FLAVORS Compound butters taste best when you infuse them with intense flavors. For inspiration, look at the small jars that line your refrigerator door. Salty condiments, such as capers and olives, are excellent

Making compound butter is a simple matter. Soften the butter, sauté the ﬂavoring, and stir; the butter’s then ready to use.

processor, but a few must be mixed by hand to main- Excellent when tossed with pasta. Yields about 3⁄4 cup. tain texture. In either case, avoid overmixing, which 1 small red bell pepper can make the butter too soft or break down the fla- 1 small clove garlic, minced vor additions too far. Overmixing can even upset 1⁄4 cup minced onion the emulsified consistency of butter and lead to a 2 Tbs. olive oil 8 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature curdled texture. 2 to 3 dashes Tabasco 1 Tbs. minced fresh oregano STORE THE BUTTER IN TUBS OR ROLLS Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste How you store the butter depends on how you plan Blacken the red pepper over a gas flame or in a 450°F to use it. If you want to use it as a simple spread, oven. Put the pepper in a paper bag, close tightly, and transfer it to a sealed container. This also is fine if allow it to steam until it’s cool enough to handle. Remove you plan to scoop out decorative rounds with a the skin, seeds, and ribs. Dice the flesh fine and set aside. melon baller, or if you want to pipe the softened but- Sauté the garlic and onion in the olive oil until soft and ter through a pastry tube (decorative dollops on transparent. Let cool and then mix all the ingredients toast rounds make an excellent appetizer). together by hand. I like to roll up a compound butter in waxed Fresh Herb Butter paper to form a long cylinder about 11⁄2 inches in di- ameter. These logs are easy to store, freeze well, and This all-purpose butter is good on everything from make it easy to cut off a small chunk for the sauté grilled fish to mashed potatoes. Yields about 11⁄3 cups. 1 pan, or to slice ⁄4-inch rounds to top grilled meats 1 cup parsley leaves, loosely packed (no stems) (just use a warm knife). To make cylinders of com- 1⁄4 cup snipped fresh chives 1 medium clove garlic, minced pound butter, cut a 12-inch-long sheet of waxed 2 Tbs. fresh thyme leaves paper. Spread the soft compound butter in a 2-inch- 11⁄2 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves wide strip across the center of the paper. Fold the 4 fresh tarragon sprigs Dash of cayenne top half of the paper over the butter, shape the Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste butter into a cylinder, and roll the butter toward you, 16 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature Scoop out rounds as if the waxed paper were a carpet. Twist the ends of 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice of butter with a the paper. If you plan to freeze the butter or refriger- Wash the parsley and squeeze it dry in a towel. Put all melon baller. Flecks ate it for more than a week, seal it in plastic wrap. the ingredients, except the butter and lemon juice, in a of roasted red pepper food processor fitted with the steel blade. Chop well, give this compound turning the processor on and off 10 to 12 times. Add butter a jeweled effect. Cranberry Butter the butter and the lemon juice. Mix well and taste for Perfect for muffins and scones. Yields about 1 cup. additional seasoning.

1⁄4 cup fresh cranberries 15 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature Apricot-Lemon Butter 2 Tbs. sugar Try this in pastries or on toast. Yields about 3⁄4 cup. Pinch salt 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice 1⁄4 cup dried apricots Wash the cranberries and dry them well. Chop them ﬁne 8 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature Rolls of compound 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice in a food processor. Melt 3 Tbs. butter in a skillet and 3 Tbs. confectioners’ sugar butter are convenient sauté the cranberries over medium heat for 4 min. Add to use. A slice of herb Stew the dried apricots by covering with water and the sugar and salt, stirring well. Cook until the sugar is butter will look beauti- melted, stirring often. Remove the mixture from the cooking over low heat until soft. Drain. ful on a bread plate. skillet, stir in the lemon juice, and let cool at room tem- Let cool slightly and purée. Mix all the perature or in the refrigerator. Mix the cooled mixture ingredients together. by hand into the remaining butter. Renie Steves owns Roquefort Butter Cuisine Concepts, a cooking school and A delicious hors d’oeuvre when piped on crackers. Yields consulting ﬁrm in about 2⁄3 cup. Fort Worth, 2 tsp. minced shallot Texas. • 8 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature 3 oz. Roquefort cheese, crumbled, at room temperature 1⁄8 tsp. fresh lemon juice Freshly ground black pepper to taste Sauté the shallots in 1 tsp. butter. Let cool and then mix with the remaining ingredients in a food processor. Photos: Sloan Howard