Compound Butters
Ingredients with Directions:
Compound Butter - Adding Things to Butter to Make it Extra Awesome
Lemon Miso Butter:
Use a food processor to whip
1 stick (4 oz.) of room temperature unsalted butter until fluffy. Pulse in
1 tablespoon miso,
zest of one lemon (or yuzu),
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne, and
1/2 teaspoon ground toasted cumin. Taste and adjust if needed.
Fold in the sesame seeds.
Great on: brown rice bowls, roasted delicate squash, sautéed vegetables, roasted tomatoes...
Saffron Date Butter:
Add
1 pinch of saffron threads in 1/2 teaspoon almond extract,
allow to sit for five minutes. Use a food processor to whip
1 stick (4 oz.) of room temperature unsalted butter until fluffy. Pulse in
1 tablespoon honey, and
1/8 teaspoon fine grain sea salt. Add the saffron-almond mixture, scraping down the sides of the processor bowl regularly. Pulse in
five plump dates, leaving them a bit chunky.
Great on: hot oatmeal, flatbreads, sautéed greens...
Garlic Green Olive Butter:
Use a food processor to whip
1 stick (4 oz.) of room temperature unsalted butter until fluffy. Pulse in
1 large clove of peeled garlic, and
lots of freshly ground black pepper. Start with 1/8 teaspoon, but add more if you like. Pulse in
a dozen plump green olives that you have pitted, rinsed, and dried in a clean towel. I like to squeeze the olives between my palms to rid them of as much olive water as possible before pulsing them in. Great on: pasta, polenta, a wide range of vegetables, it's easy magic.
Scallion Dill Butter:
Use a food processor to whip
1 stick (4 oz.) of room temperature unsalted butter until fluffy. Pulse in
a scant 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt,
a large clove of garlic (or 1 head of trimmed green garlic),
2 scallions, and
a handful of fresh dill you've de-stemmed.
Pulse well here, until everything blends together into a vibrant, electric green butter. Great on: just about everything - grilled asparagus, to finish sautéed mushrooms, perfect on corn later in the year, or cornbread ;)....biscuits, polenta, rice bowls, potatoes, egg salad...
Roasted Strawberry Ginger Butter:
This is a bonus butter - I didn't include a photo here, but I make it on occasion during strawberry season using strawberries I've roasted and cooled. Use a food processor to whip
1 stick (4 oz.) of room temperature unsalted butter until fluffy. Transfer to a bowl and fold in
1/8 teaspoon fine grain sea salt,
3 tablespoons chopped candied ginger,
15 chopped, candied pecans, and a
couple of teaspoons of runny honey. Stir until everything comes together, and then loosely fold in about
1/4 cup roasted strawberries. Great with: brunch.