Herb butter
Such prepared herb butter will certainly be appreciated for a quick dinner, grilled meat, or baked potatoes. Herb butter is a classic compound butter (beurre composé). French staples include maître d’hôtel butter (parsley and lemon), Burgundy/escargot butter (garlic-parsley), and the iconic Café de Paris for grilled meats. At home it’s a quick flavor finisher for steaks, roasted potatoes, vegetables, or warm bread.
Ingredients:
- 250 g / 8,8 oz / 1 cup butter
- One tsp thyme
- One tsp rosemary
- One tsp basil (dried)
- One tsp garlic (dried)
- Salt to taste
Recipe steps:
- Let's allow the butter to warm up so it's easier to handle, so we can cut it into smaller cubes for easier handling.
- Then put the butter in a bowl and gradually stir in the salt and herbs with a fork. We choose the amount of salt and herbs according to our taste (anyone who doesn't like salt can skip it completely).
- We can keep the carefully mixed butter in a container, shaped with moulds, or using foil to turn it into a rolling pin.
- Put the butter in the fridge and leave for at least 12 hours (preferably 24 hours).
- Serve with bread, grilled meat, or use in other recipes.
Before you start:
- Use soft, room-temperature butter (about 18-20 °C / 64-68 °F).
- Chop herbs very finely and pat them dry.
- As a rule of thumb, mix 2-4 tbsp finely chopped herbs per 250 g butter.
- Season gradually, salt intensifies after resting.
- Roll into a log in parchment, chill, and slice into coins as needed.
Flavor maps and variations:
- Provençal: thyme, rosemary, basil + a hint of lemon zest.
- Maître d’hôtel: flat-leaf parsley, lemon juice and zest, black pepper.
- Escargot style: garlic, parsley, a whisper of nutmeg, great on steaks and bread.
- Café de Paris inspired: parsley, chives, tarragon, capers, anchovy, Dijon, lemon.
- For fish/seafood: dill, chives, lemon; or use brown butter for nuttiness.
- Mediterranean: sun-dried tomatoes, olives, oregano, garlic.
- Czech twist: marjoram and garlic for roasts and potatoes.
- Spicy: chili flakes, smoked paprika, lime zest.
Add-ins and technique tips:
- Brightness: a few drops of lemon juice or white wine vinegar.
- Crunch: lightly toasted nuts or seeds.
- Dried vs fresh herbs: use roughly one-third the amount if dried.
- Garlic: for longer storage, briefly sweat minced garlic in a little butter first, then fold in.
Storage and uses:
- Keeps up to 1 week refrigerated and 2-3 months frozen. Freeze as a log or in an ice cube tray.
- Serve on steaks, fish, roasted potatoes, grilled vegetables, pasta, or simply spread on warm bread. Add a spoon to hot dishes and let it melt to finish.
