I look forward to summer and using all my fresh garden herbs, I’m constantly thinking of ways to incorporate them into my dishes. One of my favorite ways is to make herb butter, also known as compound butter.
When making herb butter the sky’s the limit. You can choose your favorite combinations with additions of garlic, shallots, citrus, edible flowers, mustards and even some spicy heat, it’s really fun to make it your own so whatever you use you can’t go wrong.
For my compound butter I used a combination of rosemary, lemon and English thyme, parsley, basil, oregano and chives, I picked some lavender but at the end decided not to use it in this batch.
I also added some of my hot pepper chili’s to spice it up a bit. Herbed butters can be used with seafood and fish of all kinds, grilled meats, potatoes, rice, all different veggies and breads, croutons, pasta, eggs and omelets, there are endless ways to use them.
Herb butters keep in the fridge for around a week but they freeze very well for up to three months, so keep that in mind when you’re making a batch if you want to keep a stash in your freezer like I do or if you want to give some away as a delicious hostess gift.
Infused herb butter that’s melted into a hot steamy ear of corn is a game changer!
Ready to make some?
- 1 stick unsalted butter, very room temperature and soft
- 2 Tablespoons of finely chopped herbs, like thyme, basil, oregano, chives, parsley, remove all stems
- 1garlic clove, chopped finely
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- a small pinch of red pepper or a small portion of a chopped red chili ( optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
- Place the softened butter into a bowl and with a spatula fold in all the other ingredients then add the salt and pepper to taste.
- Place the whole bowl into the fridge so the butter mixture can harden up a bit so you can easily form it into a log.
- Take a piece of plastic wrap and lay it on the counter and spoon it on top then roll it into a log and twist the ends.
- Stick the log into the fridge and let it completely harden up before slicing and using it.
- Stays well in the fridge for a week and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
I’m Marie, a wife, mother, mother-in-law, and gramma of two beautiful girls. My passion is food, clear and simple but especially Italian food, hence the name of my blog, Proud Italian Cook. I want you to feel right at home here so grab a cup of coffee, I’ll get the pastries, take a look around and enjoy your visit! {
