Compound butters are fabulous. They are little flavour filled disks of buttery deliciousness.
A beautiful disk of salty butter enriched with herbs and spices. The possibilities are endless. So much so that when I started coming up with ideas for my father's day steak with compound butter (read my post on the perfect steak here) my brain went into overdrive and suddenly I had 10 combinations to choose from.
So I have made a whole section on my recipe collections for compound butters. I spent a full day making compound butters. I had a fridge full of beautiful rolls of butter and all my friends now have little rolls in their fridges!!!! There should be a lot of happy steak (or veggie) munching Fathers on Sunday!!! (Not that compound butters are only for steak, add them to grilled chicken, seared fish or top your veggies with a big old pat.)
Just like my PERFECT steak post I have some 'rules' on compound butters.
The Butter
I adore Pepe Saya Cultured Butter and Président Sea Salt Butter. But this is not the place for them, their flavour is either lost amougst the herbs and spices, so don't waste money using your expensive butter (Save that for bread and butter!!!) Just buy a block of supermarket butter. It will be perfect for this job.
Also I buy the salted butter. It just works well for me! Even with the salty cheeses I find the flavour is better when I use salted butter.
Get the butter soft, (but not too soft!)
If your butter is too cold, then you find the flavourings don't mix perfectly and you end up with little bits of butter that are devoid of the additional flavours. (BAD!) I like to get my butter out for an hour before I start making compound butters. I don't hold with softening it on the counter overnight. As I use a mixer to incorporate my ingredients, if the butter is too soft, everything melts a little too much, leaving a not so nice taste later on.
Flavourings - The possibilities are endless
Because you only use a small pat, the best compound butters are those that are packed with flavour. But the possibilities are endless and totally up to you. Load the butter up with your favourite herbs. Or add in some bacon. Garlic is always a good choice and the addition of lemon works amazingly well with steak. At the end of this page you can find links to the 10 compound butters that I whipped up yesterday. (I also have a few more in coming weeks!)
Ensure your flavourings are finely chopped and everything is well mixed
You want every bit of butter to carry every bit of flavour, so make sure whatever you are adding is chopped up nice and fine. I use my food processor to ensure everything is well chopped and then well incorporated.
Wrap it well.
If you want to cut the beautiful disks of butter then the best way to achieve this is to roll the butter into a sausage using cling film. Pull off a piece of cling film (about 25cm/10in). Once the butter is mixed, spoon it into a rough log onto the long edge of the cling film. (It will take up the centre 3rd of the the cling film. Carefully roll the cling film around the butter, then pinch the ends together and keep rolling it tight until you have a nice tight log. Tie a quick knot in the cling film and store it in the fridge.
If you are gifting the little rolls then once you have cling filmed it, add a layer of greaseproof paper and tie it into a cracker shape.
Fenna says
Can/would you also use them for bread? On a charcuterie board for example?
Claire McEwen says
You could definitely use it as a speed for bread or toast. YUM!
Cx
Carol says
Can you use margarine instead of butter?
Claire McEwen says
You probably could, but I wouldn't. Margarine has so many yucky things in it and doesn't have the lovely taste of butter.
But yes the recipes would work with margarine
Cx
Christine says
Can the be frozen?
Claire McEwen says
They can 🙂
I wrap the butter log in parchment paper/baking paper and then wrap it tightly in two layers of plastic wrap (saran wrap/cling film).
Then the butter will keep in the freezer for 4 months.
You can even cut a disk off whilst frozen (use a warm knife) and keep the rest of the butter log frozen for another time.
Hope that helps 🙂
Cx
Penny says
You missed one possibility! One using fresh dill - the resulting butter would be perfect on vegetables and seafood as well as chicken.
Claire McEwen says
Great suggestion!
I love fresh dill 🙂
Cx
Bonnie Crim says
I think that these compound butter recipes will make the perfect gift. I’ve long wanted to have a gift that I can give, as a thank you to others who have given of themselves to me . Not everyone can have sweets, and this is perfect. I have sent off for molds and am anxiously awaiting their arrival, so I can get started. BC
Claire McEwen says
Oh I would love to see pictures of your shaped butters!
I agree, it is such a wonderful present idea!
Thank you for picking my butters to give with love!
Cx
Diane says
Love these butters. Anxious to start making them.
Claire McEwen says
I hope you love them! They add so much to a steak or a chicken breast and are so easy to make 😀
Emily Horadam says
Hi!
I'm planning on gifting these for christmas in little jars. Any idea how long these will keep in the fridge? Does it change because of all the added ingredients?
Claire McEwen says
I have kept them in the fridge for around 2 weeks.
If I am making a large batch up I freeze them until I need them, then defrost and keep them for 2 weeks in the fridge.
(The bacon one only lasts about 5 days though)
Dorothy Dunton says
Hi Claire! All of these butters sound wonderful! I love blue cheese with beef, the mushroom and sherry would be perfect on chicken and the horseradish is a match made in heaven for prime rib! I could go on but I know I don't need to tell you what to use them for! 🙂
Claire McEwen says
hehe, I love your suggestions Dorothy. It is always wonderful to know how other would use them x