Tips for Making Compound Butter

Compound butter, also known as flavored butter, is incredible easy to make. It can instantly transform any meal. You can make savory or sweet butters – the flavor combinations are endless. All it requires is fresh butter, a few utensils and flavorful ingredients of your choice.

My personal favorite is a simple, salty herbes de provence butter. I love this on grilled lamb and roasted asparagus! Jojo’s favorite is bourbon, pecan and honey on freshly-baked biscuits or popovers.

I like making compound butter right after it has been churned. The consistency is perfect for blending, much like soft play dough. Generally, I will make batches using 1 cup of butter. If this quantity is too much, tightly wrap and freeze part of it. Butter will stay fresh in the freezer for several months.

TIPS:

1. Use butter at room temperature.
2. Use fresh herbs if possible. The flavor will infuse slightly better.
3. Add salt at the end. You can never take it out, but you can always add more.
4. Use a spoon or paddle for blending. Don’t use your hands, the butter will get too warm.
5. Small amount of liquid – be it citrus juice or a dash of bourbon, never use more than 1 – 2 tsp of liquid.
6. Mix in a wide-based bowl. It is easier to mix with a generous working space.

So, what do you need to make compound butter?You likely have everything you need in your kitchen.

• a mixing bowl
• a mixing spoon
• plastic wrap or parchment paper
• ingredients of your choice
• fresh butter

Once it is all blended together and you are satisfied with the flavor balance, scoop it out onto a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Partially wrap it and then use the paper to help shape it into a 6-inch log. Alternatively, you can spread it into a crock or ramekin. Refrigerate for thirty minutes so it hardens up. At this point, you can serve it as a log or you can slice off individual portions. Compound butters are best eaten within a few days.

Don’t forget to garnish your homemade butter. Use an ingredient that is in your compound butter to glam it up. Try decorating it with a sprig of rosemary, a lemon peel, several pecan halves or sliced strawberries.

We have lots of recipes right here on our website, but get creative yourself. If you have somebody in the family who loves lime, tequila and chili, throw it all together in the butter. It will be great on grilled swordfish. If you have a sweet tooth, then honey, cinnamon, fresh fruit and jams can all be used in compound butters. Get creative and share your recipes with us!