Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Compound Butter

It is finally grilling season here.  And to that end, Mr. CityHome got an early Father's Day gift.  We hosted a "little" shindig here last Saturday for 200 of our daughters closest friends.  Isn't Facebook Grand?  When they decided to throw a barbecue they had no idea so many would show up.  Good thing Dad broke out the new toy early.  The old Ducane and the new "Egg" were full for several hours.  We're looking forward to doing some smoking and grilling on this great piece of equipment.  We are both already in love with it after one night.


I rustled up some ingredients that I had laying around and made some compound butter to go with the whole salmon fillet we grilled tonight. 


Stuff a piece inside fish, chicken, or even a pork chop to add flavor and moisture.    Throw it over some grilled veggies.  It's fabulous on them too.  Suppose you have some leftover; seal it back up and toss it back in the freezer for next time.  It's also a great way to use up small bits of herbs you may have left from another recipe, or even your fresh garden herbs. Change up the variety of herbs, juices, and even fruits for different combinations of butters.

It makes a thoughtful hostess gift too.  Roll some parchment paper over the plastic wrapped butter, twist both ends opposite each other, and tie it up with some cute string.  It's a really good thing to have on hand. 
Compound Butter

4 Tablespoons of unsalted butter
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
½ teaspoon of grated lemon zest
2 Tablespoons of chopped flat leaf parsley
1 clove of garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Bring butter to room temperature. Mix all ingredients into the butter until well incorporated.
Turn butter onto a piece of plastic wrap. Roll wrap around the butter and use it to form the mixture into a tight cylinder. Twist the ends of the plastic wrap in opposite directions and put into an airtight storage bag.
Store in the refrigerator for 2 hours or until firm. May be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks or the freezer for longer storage.  Cut into coins and place on top of warm meats or vegetables.
Serve on beef, chicken, fish, bread, vegetables, or even biscuits or muffins.

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7 comments:

  1. pamJune 14, 2011 at 5:06 AM

    Yep, it's time to make some of this and toss it in the freezer for fresh herby flavor all winter!

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  2. laxsupermomJune 14, 2011 at 5:55 AM

    I love the idea of using these as a hostess gift! Thanks for sharing.

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  3. GigiJune 17, 2011 at 7:24 AM

    This sounds so good! We're having steak on the grill tonight - think I'll make some of this to go with. Thanks for sharing.
    G

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  4. The Fajdich TimesJune 17, 2011 at 7:56 AM

    Great idea.....perfect for a hostess gift! I better get some Herb butter in my freezer:)

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  5. SueJune 17, 2011 at 5:02 PM

    I think eating at your house would be like eating at a gourmet restaurant:)
    I REALLY need to try this. It looks so good on the salmon. So, to mkae that big roll, you just multiply it by how much?

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  6. KBJune 19, 2011 at 11:43 PM

    Thanks for sharing your recipe with
    Simply Delish. Hope to see you again next week.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Roz | La Bella Vita CucinaJune 23, 2011 at 7:17 PM

    Hi Bonnie, Thank you so much for sharing this delicious herbal butter last week on Fresh Food Friday. I selected it to be one of the featured recipe posts on this week's edition. Hope you can stop by, check it out, grab the "Featured" badge and also hope you can share another delicious recipe post!

    ReplyDelete