Compound Butter

This is a dish or condiment if you want to call it that — which is easy to make and really adds a lot of flavor to your cooking.

Compound butter is regular unsalted butter that has been flavored with different herbs and spices. It’s really great for finishing steaks and other cuts of meat when grilled. I like using it as a spread on toasted pumpernickel slices. You can make the mixture sweet and savory, or with garlic and other spices. The limit is your imagination and tastes.

Some people say let the butter come to room temperature and get soft. Me ? I’m kind of impatient and use very low heat to melt an entire stick in a small sheet iron pan.

In this batch, I added chopped Italian parsley with onion powder, minced garlic, herbs de provenance, and lots of turmeric.

Once the butter has cooled and resolidified, I scoop it into a sheet of plastic wrap. Then I roll it up in a log shape and twist the ends shut. The compound butter will store at least two weeks in the fridge or a few months in the freezer.