How to Make Herb Butter: 5 Compound Butter Recipes (2024)

FAQs

When using fresh herbs for compound butters What is an important step? ›

Mince your herbs

First, remove the rosemary and thyme leaves from their branches (using a cheese grater and running them through is a great hack!), then finely chop up the herbs and set them aside. Using chopped fresh herbs will add a lot more flavor than dried herbs in the compound butter.

Compound butter, or finishing butter, is a type of butter that is mixed with herbs, spice blends, and other ingredients that give it a savory or sweet flavor.

At its core, herb butter is basically fresh herbs and real butter mixed with some salt and pepper. It's a savory and flavorful butter that tastes amazing on bread, rolls or spread on top of a hot steak.

Melt butter in 1-quart saucepan over low heat, without stirring, 10-15 minutes or until melted and solids separate from fat. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Skim off foam. Slowly pour off clear yellow liquid, leaving behind the residue of milk solids that has settled to bottom of pan.

Once the compound recipe is complete, you must store butter in the refrigerator as you normally would. In many cases, herb-infused compound butter can last up to two months in the refrigerator. However, storage time really depends on the ingredients you've included in the compound butter recipe.

Compound butter can be kept refrigerated for several days. They can also be frozen for several months by being wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in plastic freezer bags.

The typical composition of butter is: 80-82% fat, 16-17.5% water, 1.5% salt, and 1% milk solids (vitamins, minerals, and lactose). While butter is a simple product made from only a couple of ingredients, the physical changes that take place during butter production are more complex.

The USDA recommends leaving butter out at room temperature for only a day or two. But if it's stored in all of the proper conditions listed above, it can stay fresh for up to two weeks. So don't leave out more than you think you'll be able to get through in that small period of time.

Can herb butter sit out? ›

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends leaving butter at room temperature no more than two days.

French butter also has a higher fat content. This is France, after all! While most countries use about 80% butterfat in their butter, French law requires at least 82% butterfat. It might not sound like much, but this 2% difference actually has a a huge impact on texture and taste.

The butter is essentially a compound mixture — softened butter mixed with savory or sweet ingredients.

Mâitre d'Hotel butter refers to a compound butter that the head waiter (or “Mâitre d'” in French) would prepare tableside and add to finished dishes in high end hotel restaurants – which is why it's also sometimes called hotel butter.

It can also be flavored with vegetables such as shallots or garlic. Some variations around the world include ingredients such as anchovies, caviar or nuts. Compound butter can also be called 'herb butter' or in French, 'beurre compose'. It is a great butter to keep in the fridge or freezer.

Fresh herbs should be added close to or at the end of cooking because you want to preserve their delicate, fragrant qualities (ex. parsley on pasta or mint on meatballs). It's not as important in cold dishes like salsa and ceviche, though cilantro will look and taste brighter if added closer to serving time.

Pour heavy cream into a food processor or blender. Process on high until butter separates, about 10 minutes. Strain off liquid, then press butter into a small bowl with the back of a spoon to further remove liquid. Season with salt.

For hot dishes, fresh herbs are added near the end of the cooking time or just before serving to retain their flavor and aroma. Delicate herbs such as basil, cilantro, and dill should be added during the last one to two minutes of cooking or right before the dish is served.