My love for butter runs deep (I mean, does anyone actually say otherwise -- especially anyone that likes baking??). My husband actually jokes that he thinks I'm 50% made out of butter. But it might be true.... Jokes aside, compound butter is one of the very best-kept secrets and should be in everyone's kitchen arsenal. One of my very favorites is compound butter with rosemary and garlic.
I remember the first time I had compound butter -- I thought it was SO FANCY! Little did I know, it's a great way to add a flavor punch without having many ingredients on hand.
What is compound butter?
Compound butter is simply a mix of butter with other ingredients. Often these are herbs but could be anything ranging from sundried tomatoes, to lime zest.
How do you make compound butter with rosemary and garlic?
This is my favorite kind of recipe: put it all in a bowl and mix it up! But really, there is nothing more to it than that!
I'm never someone that remembers to let butter come to room temperature before starting a recipe, but it's a must here. If your butter was in the fridge, leave it on the countertop for a few hours or overnight and then make your compound butter the next day. You do not want to make this with melted butter(we've all cheated and "warmed" butter in the microwave). Softened overnight or for a few hours on the countertop is perfect.
First, place your butter in a medium bowl (I love these nesting mixing bowls with lids) and add your ingredients. Mix with a fork until well combined. There is no such thing as over-mixing here, so mix until your heart's content!
How do you eat compound butter?
Once you've mixed in your ingredients, you can eat this right away! It's wonderful on fresh, warm rolls or biscuits. If you freeze your butter, you can either put it directly into a hot pan to melt (perhaps before searing a steak), or let it sit out to thaw if you need it in a spreading consistency.
How do you store compound butter?
If you know you're going to use it quickly, keep the butter in a dish on your countertop (soft) or in the fridge. Compound butter stays good for about 5 days in the fridge.
You can also roll the butter into a log with wax paper and store it in the fridge. You can then cut the butter in slices, and pull out a slice whenever it's needed. Compound butter will last in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Also, if you keep your butter in the freezer and you're making something that needs herb flavoring but you don't have any on hand, adding a bit of compound butter will do just the trick!
Below is one of my favorite ways to make compound butter. I'd love to hear what you think and if there are other compound butter combinations you use often! Happy cooking!
Compound Butter with Rosemary & Garlic
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped
- 2 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- pinch salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make sure you're starting with softened butter that has been sitting at room temperature for at least a few hours.
- Add softened butter to a medium mixing bowl. Add chopped rosemary, minced garlic, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Mix with a fork until well incoporated. At this point, your butter is ready to eat!
- If you'd like to freeze your butter, roll your butter into a log with parchment paper and freeze for at least three hours. Then slice and use as needed.
- Enjoy!
[…] if you’re really stuck, make some compound butter! For me, this is a better way to preserve the flavor than drying the herb — it’ll be used […]