Herb Compound Butter is a simple way to add complexity and a touch of elegance to your cooking. Compound butter is made by adding additional elements like fresh herbs, spices, garlic, citrus, honey, etc. It’s usually served in chilled rounds but can also be whipped and served as a spread.
Compound Butter (beurre composé), originated in France way back in the 17th century. It can be used in both sweet and savory recipes. To this day, it’s often made table-side at French restaurants. You’ve likely had a slice of compound butter placed on top of your steak before serving. What’s cool about this simple staple is that the flavor combos are truly endless! In this post I’ve included a variety or flavor pairing suggestions to kick-start your imagination.
What you’ll need to make this herb compound butter:
- unsalted butter (skip salt if using salted)
- fresh rosemary may sub dried
- fresh thyme may sub dried
- fresh chives may sub dried
- sea salt
- garlic clove
- lemon juice + zest
Flavor pairing suggestions:
- Cranberry & orange zest
- Dill, parsley, and lemon
- Tamarind & date
- Tarragon & chive
- Garlic confit & Parmigiano Reggiano
- Cherry & sage
- Rosemary, sage, and honey
- Cinnamon & maple
- Basil pesto
- Cilantro, jalapeño, and lime
- Shallot, Dijon, and Worcestershire
- Sun-dried tomato & basil
- Savory, oregano, and garlic
Can I microwave the butter instead of waiting for it to soften to room temperature?
Unfortunately, microwaving butter to speed up the process will not work for this. If you microwave the butter, it will start to melt; half melted, half cold butter is not conducive to mixing in fresh herbs into smooth and spreadable butter. Just leave in on the kitchen counter for an hour or so, do something else on your list, and the result will be worth the wait. Promise!
Can I use salted butter?
Most definitely! Occasionally, I like to use a salted or salted cultured butter. When using salted butter, simply skip adding salt to any of your compound butter creations.
Can I use dried herbs instead of fresh herbs?
Yes, you can! As with any recipe, choosing dried vs fresh herbs requires you to adjust your ratios. As a loose guideline, use 1 teaspoon of dried herbs for every ½ cup (stick) of butter. In contrast, you’ll want to use a full tablespoon of finely chopped fresh herbs per ½ cup of butter.
Like I said, this is a loose guideline. Each herbs carries a different intensity so you’ll have to keep that in mind when forming your ratios. For example, you may need to reduce the amount of dried sage and increase the amount of basil to achieve the right flavor. If you’re working with ground seeds such as fennel, you’ll only want to use a ½ teaspoon per ½ cup of butter.
How long does compound butter last?
Compound butter stays good for a week in your refrigerator and for a month in your freezer. Slice the compound butter into slices before freezing.
Herb Compound Butter
Equipment
- 1 small bowl
- 1 silicone spatula
- 1 cutting board
- 1 chefs knife
- 1 spoon
- plastic wrap
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature; see notes
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp fresh chives
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ garlic clove finely grated; or a few cloves of roasted garlic
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp lemon zest
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the softened butter and all other ingredients. It's important the butter is at room temperature.
- Using a silicone spatula, transfer the herb compound butter onto a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper; roll into a log that's about 4" long and 1" thick. Grab the ends of the plastic wrap and roll the log forward along the countertop. This will twist the ends together and help make the log into a more uniformed shape. Repeat this process multiple times until you reach the desired shape and size. Chill overnight, or until firm.
- Once firm, unroll compound butter from plastic wrap or parchment paper. Set compound butter out at room temperature for a few minutes to soften it a bit. Cut compound butter into slices and serve.
