Have you ever wondered why your fish, chicken, or beef cooked at home doesn’t taste as good as what top-rated restaurants serve? Well, there’s a valid reason. You see, chefs have a secret. To enhance flavors, they use compound butter. Here’s some great news. Now that you know, you can make food taste great too. Simply follow these recipes.
Ingredients
Garlic Herb Compound Butter
- 1/2 cup quality unsalted butter (softened)
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon each of fresh oregano, rosemary, and chives (finely chopped)
Orange Apricot
- 1/2 cup quality unsalted butter (softened)
- 2 tablespoons apricot jam
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 tablespoon orange-flavored syrup
- Zest of one orange
Chipotle
- 1/2 cup quality unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 ½ tablespoons chipotle pepper (seeded and minced)
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
Jalapeno Lime
- 1/2 cup quality unsalted butter (softened)
- 1/2 jalapeno pepper (medium, seeds removed, and minced)
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
Basil
- 1/2 cup quality unsalted butter (softened)
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- Handful of fresh basil
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Truffle
- 1/2 cup quality unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 tablespoon truffles (grated)
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
Blue Cheese
- 1/2 cup quality unsalted butter (softened)
- 1/2 cup of blue cheese or gorgonzola
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Tarragon
- 1/2 cup quality unsalted butter (softened)
- 2 to 3 teaspoons of fresh tarragon (freshly chopped)
- 2 tablespoons onion (mined)
- 1 garlic clove (minced)
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 fresh ground black pepper
Directions
It doesn’t matter which compound butter recipe you want to try. After all, you’ll follow the same instructions regardless.
Step One
First, place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Next, stir them for several minutes. That way, everything blends and incorporates perfectly.
Step Two
Second, put a piece of parchment paper on the kitchen counter or a large cutting board. The point is to choose a flat surface.
Step Three
Third, put the mixed ingredients in the center of the parchment paper. In addition, you’ll need to form it with your hands into the shape of a log.
Step Four
Fourth, carefully tie each end of the parchment paper together. For one thing, that encases the compound butter. For another, it helps it to retain the log shape.
Step Five
Fifth, put the log in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Then, transfer it to the freezer.
When you’re ready to use your homemade compound butter, simply slice off a piece about one inch thick. Afterward, add it to whatever dish you’re cooking. This compound butter will stay fresh in the refrigerator for approximately one month.
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Additional Uses
Typically, people use compound butter when cooking fish, chicken, and beef. However, you can enhance the flavor of other dishes as well. For instance, it’s great with rice, bread, and on top of baked potatoes. Also, try adding it to vegetables like asparagus, corn, carrots, and broccoli.