Classic Homemade Compound Herb Butter is a luscious do-ahead mix of butter and fresh or dried herbs, rolled into a log shape, and ready to enhance your recipes.
Herb Butter Or Compound Butter
Herb Butter, or compound butter, is a delicious way to incorporate a summer’s harvest, to enjoy all year long:
- Fresh Herbs – have a higher water content and are more delicate in flavor.
- Dried Herbs – having their natural water content dried, concentrates their flavor.
- Fresh Garlic – makes a delicious garlic butter and keeps in the fridge for a few days.
- Roasted garlic – when made into garlic butter will last longer in the fridge.
Making herb butter in advance is an easy way to have flavor enhancers ready when you are.
Herb Butter At The Table
Imagine serving a summer’s meal, with several selections of room temperature butter, already seasoned with different flavor combinations.
Having gathered fresh vegetables from your garden or farmer’s market, you sit down to a good meal with herbal butters ready to serve with dinner rolls or fresh bread.
Isn’t that what summer meals are all about?
And oh, how butter makes sauces taste better!
Herb Butter With Fresh Herbs – Chef’s Cooking Tips
Ever wonder why meat dishes taste so much better in a restaurant than it seems they do at home?
Or, what that delicious topping is on plain ole veggies, while dining out?
Home chefs, unlike professional chefs, which my son is, rarely know chef’s cooking tips.
I’ve watched my chef son whisk up garlic butter or garden fresh herb butter to place a dollop on top of freshly cooked meals, numerous times.
How To Make Classic Homemade Herb Butter
For the most flavorful butter you will ever spread on both savory or sweet dishes, these herb butter logs can be made in minutes and stored for months.
Simply whisk together softened butter, any herb or combination of herbs into a creamy butter mixture.
Spread onto a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper and roll into a log.
Store in the fridge or freezer.
Garlic Herb Butter
An easy recipe for a delicious homemade garlic herb butter is made in the same way.
Simply by whisking the softened stick of butter with freshly pressed or roasted garlic and herbs of your choice.
Herb Butter Logs Include Edible Flowers Too!
In many ways, edible flowers, are much like herbs.
They bring a variety of flavors to our food.
So why not whisk a little softened butter with lavender buds and raw sugar, rose petals and honey, or fennel blossoms with maple syrup!
These flower butter mixtures are delicious on toast, perfect as a spread over a favorite muffin or use instead of frosting on cupcakes.
Once they are mixed and shaped in advance, tucked in your fridge or freezer, you’ve already got a head start on a quick dessert!
Favorite Herb Butter Recipes Made With Fresh Herbs
Fresh Chives
Fresh Chives, make for a quick and robust flavored chive butter, a perfect topping for a variety of potato dishes, pasta or pizza.
Fresh Rosemary
Fresh Rosemary, with a squeeze of lemon juice and a little bit of black pepper, is perfect for many Mediterranean style roasted meats or grilled fish.
Fresh Thyme
Fresh Thyme Butter, something I often have stored in my fridge to use in my pie crusts for a quiche or potato tart.
Fresh Parsley
Fresh Parsley, makes for a lovely herbed butter with just a little lemon zest, something I often use when making Shakshuka.
Pretty Ways To Serve Butter At Dinner Parties
If you are serving a sit down dinner, you can certainly impress your guests with a combination of herbs that have been shaped into butter molds and served on individual butter plates.
Another option, when serving buffet style, is to place the herbed butter molds on top of ice cubes that have been frozen with flower blossoms.
There are many different ways to ‘show off’ your fresh herb butter, allowing the guests to help themselves.
Classic Homemade Compound Garlic Herb Butter
Equipment
- Parchment paper and twine
- Cutting board and knife
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter softened
- 1/4 cup Fresh or Dried Herbs finely chopped
- 2 Garlic cloves raw or roasted and crushed
Instructions
- Leave butter out to become room temperature.
- Chop the fresh herbs, or measure out the dry herbs.
- Place everything in a small bowl and whisk until creamy.
- Transfer the butter mixture to a flat surface on either a piece of wax paper, parchment paper, plastic wrap or plastic freezer bag and shape into a log. Twist the ends of the plastic wrap or paper and tie with twine. Store in either the fridge or freezer until ready to use.
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Notes
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.
