Summer Cooking - LEMON GARLIC COMPOUND BUTTEr

Summer is here, and that means there an abundance of fresh produce in the garden and at the markets. One of my favorite ways to use some of that bounty is in infusions to level up my cooking. Enter the magic that is compound butter!

A few years ago I took an incredibly in depth 6 month French cooking class and it was amazing. Instead of focusing on recipes it taught us the thought process behind cooking, how to know what ingredients pair well together, and little tricks like making compound butter that have totally changed my cooking game.

Since taking that class, I’ve made sure to make some type of flavored butter every summer to capture the fresh herbs of the season.

Having a compound butter makes cooking meat and vegetables so easy. You can throw a few tablespoons of this flavored butter in a skillet while pan frying and not only do you have your fat melting, but also all your seasonings. It’s also delicious as a topper for grilled fish and steak, or to spread on biscuits and rolls.

As a bonus, it’s also incredibly easy to make. Add all the ingredients into a food processor and blend everything together. Just make sure the butter has softened first. I’ve been impatient and tried to mix everything while the butter was still hard and it just didn’t want to combine. So allow the butter to come to room temperature before mixing.

Pulse a few times to combine in the food processor, then scrape the butter onto a sheet of wax or parchment paper and roll to make a little butter log.

If you’re planning on using all of it in the next few days you can leave it in the fridge, but since this recipe calls for adding garlic and shallots to the butter, I’d recommend keeping it in the freezer so it doesn’t go bad.

Lemon Garlic Compound Butter Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 lb unsalted butter at room temperature (1 stick)

• 2 cloves garlic chopped

• 1/3 chopped shallot (about 1.5 tbsp)

• 1 tbsp parsley

• 1/4 lemon

• salt & pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Let butter soften and come to room temperature.

2. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse for about 20 seconds until everything is completely mixed.

3. Spoon mixture into wax paper or parchment paper and form into a log shape.

4. Store in the freezer and use whenever you want an easy way to flavor meals.

NOTES

This is the perfect recipe to customize. Try adding a tablespoon of fresh rosemary or thyme. Hate garlic? Leave it out! Love lemon? Add a bit more!