The Not Always Appreciated Flavor Booster….Flavored and Herb Butters
Herb butter is one of the first recipes I learned in cooking school
Plain Butter
Herbed Butter, Fruited butter or Honey butter are some of the best things in life so useful and simple to make.
Flavored butters are flavor enhancers for meats and fish, or to spread on muffins or bread.
There are endless places to use this simple delicacy. Herbed or fruited butters are lovely spread on a nice baguette too or on some freshly cooked pasta. about to using some flavored butter on popcorn?
Included in the category of flavored butters:
- Fruit butters
- Honey Butter
- Herb butters
- Spiced butters
- Savory butters
- Sweet butters
I have had strawberry butter served with luscious corn muffins here in NYC. Great at breakfast or brunch time. Honey butter on toast, waffles or pancakes would be delicious. And, what about garlic butter on bread?
There is no perfect recipe for these butters.
Let you own taste be the guide making them. Here’s a few basic recipes, but please play and experiment in your kitchen. Have fun and be creative with these.
Bread and Butter
The Basic Method
- Use room temperature butter for easier blending.
- Add flavoring ingredients mix with hand or stand mixer.
- You can use a strong wooden spoon but this is easier and quicker with a mixer.
- If using in the next couple of days just put in small serving dishes and keep tightly covered in the refrigerator until serving.
- Chill until ready to serve.
- For using much later: transfer to 2 sheets of plastic wrap, roll each into log, and freeze up to 2 months. If you are freezing….label!
Suggestion.…mix well and spread a little on some bread to check the flavor you’ve created. Adjust if needed! The herbs will meld with the butter flavor after sitting a while especially if you need to use and dried herbs.
I prefer to make these with fresh herbs, but in a pinch I have used dried herbs.
Rule of thumb for equating fresh to dry herbs:
1 Tablespoon fresh = 1 teaspoon dried
Serving Herbed butter
For serving
Herb butters – Slice pats with a sharp knife before using to use as spread serve at room temperature
Flavored butters – Serve at room temperature for easier spreading.
Herbed Butter
Herb Butter for Seafood
- 1 stick of unsalted butter (1/4 lb.)
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon finely chopped shallots1/4 teaspoon salt
Mix as in the basic method above.
Option: replace dill with 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
Fresh Herbs
Rule of thumb for equating fresh to dry herbs:
Fresh Strawberries
Strawberry Butter
- 2 sticks (1/2 lb.) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup hulled and coarsely chopped fresh strawberries
Mix as in the basic method above.
Spatchcocked chicken with herb butter
Savory Herb Butter for Poultry and Meat
- 1 stick of unsalted butter (1/4 lb.)
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary finely chopped— OR (1 teaspoon crushed dried)
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Mix as in the basic method above.
NOTE: Play with this recipe adding fresh ginger, grated onion or other herbs to taste.
Honey
Honey Butter
- 1 Lb. of butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
-
vanilla or other extract, optionalMix as in the basic method above.
Nothing like fresh bread and butter1/2 teaspoon
Need some bread to go with that?
Haven’t baked homemade yet?
Herbed Butter
