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Compound Butter

Compound Butter

This compound butter is really good on bread, but even better on meat and pasta. A mixture of butter and other ingredients makes a compound butter, which can be used as a kind of instant sauce on top of cooked meat, vegetables or fish. The uses of savory compound butters are legion: on fish, fowl, meats of many stripes, and various preparations of vegetables.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 pound butter
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon thyme, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon sage, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped

Instructions

  1. Chop the butter into uniform chunks using the dough scraper.
  2. Place the oil into the food processor and add the chives. Process until the chives are finely chopped. Add the remaining herbs and blend until the herbs have colored the oil. Using the whisk attachment, whip the butter in the mixer’s work bowl at medium speed until it softens and lightens in color, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  3. Add the herb oil to the butter and beat for another 2 minutes until oil is fully incorporated. Remove butter from bowl and spoon onto parchment paper or plastic wrap. Roll into a log, using the edge of a baking sheet to form a tight log. Chill for 2 hours before serving.

Notes

Storage Hints. Store Compound Butters (depending on what is in them) for up to 5 days in the refrigerator, 6 months in the freezer. Instead of freezing a batch in one long log, you may wish to cut it into smaller lengths, and freeze separately.