The Art of Compound Butter

Compound butters are one of the fanciest (and easiest) ways to create a stunning and cohesive meal-- and are made a little bit easier by utilizing our spice blends! The basic idea is to soften butter, and mix it with a wide array of fresh ingredients and spices, before wrapping it and allowing it to sit for 2 hours or more. Then, you have a richly flavored butter that can be added on top of fish, steak, potatoes, corn on the cob, or slathered onto a hot roll. So simple, so classy, and so much fun to play around with what you add in! When I set out our the butters from these recipes and some bread for our salt crew, the baguette was GONE day 1. It's addictive in the best way!

Sun Dried Tomato Butter with Brewery Blend

1/2 stick to 1 stick of unsalted butter

2 T Brewery Blend

Handful of chopped sundried tomatoes

Serve with: warm baguette

Spicy Thai Coconut Butter

1/2 stick to 1 stick of unsalted butter

2 T Spicy Thai Blend

1 diced shallot

2 cloves garlic 

1 chopped green onion

Serve with: any kind of fish, sweet roll, or warm baguette

Truffle and Pink Peppercorn Butter

1/2 stick to 1 stick of unsalted butter

1 T Truffle and Friends Salt 

A few grinds of Daily Grind 

Serve with: steak, baked potato

Garlic and Friends Butter 

1/2 stick to 1 stick of unsalted butter

2 T Garlic and Friends blend 

1 chopped green onion

Serve with: fresh baguette, chicken, mashed potatoes

Cajun Butter

1/2 stick to 1 stick of unsalted butter

1 T Friday Harbor Seafood Blend

Serve with: chicken and seafood

The process for making each of these butters is the same:

• Wait until your stick or half stick of butter is softened to a workable room temperature. Throw the butter and seasonings into a bowl large enough to mix in, and work the butter until the seasonings are thoroughly incorporated. 
• Cut a sheet of plastic wrap, parchment paper or beeswax wrap and set on the counter. 
• Spoon the butter onto the plastic, parchment, or beeswax wrap, and shape until it resembles a small log. Twist the remaining ends of the wrap to secure it.
• Set in the fridge for at least two hours, and then unwrap to reveal beautiful coins of butter.
  
  

My favorite ways to serve are on top of hot seared steak, or as the butter to a baked or mashed potato-- the seasonings melt wonderfully and create entirely new flavors. But the absolute best is just served cold atop a simple warm baguette, as a snack or appetizer.

We've also experimented with using silicone molds to shape the butter in, and they work beautifully, as evidenced by the Spicy Thai butter! Let us know-- which was your favorite combination, and which of our blends is unexpectedly delectable (and simple) in butter?

Stay salty, folks!