COMPOUND BUTTER

 When you have more fresh herbs than you need, make a compound butter. If you freeze the herbed butter, it’s very easy to slice off a chunk whenever you want to add flavor to fish, chicken, steaks, or vegetable.

 …a compound butter is simply softened butter into which you’ve beaten herbs, spices, shallots, anchovies, or any number of flavorful or aromatic ingredients. After combining the butter and add-ins, spoon the mixture onto a sheet of wax paper. With your hands outside the paper, use the paper to roll up the butter into a cylinder about the size and shape of store-bought cookie dough (you’ll form a log of butter wrapped in the wax paper). Twist each end of the wax paper tightly to seal, and then either store in a ziplock bag or wrap in plastic wrap to prevent the butter from absorbing any freezer odors.

- Sue Conley & Peggy Smith (Cowgirl Creamery Co-Founders)

Shallot Butter
Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients
1 lb unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 shallots, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions
When the butter is soft, put it in a bowl; add the shallots, garlic, and salt; and beat with a wooden spoon until all are evenly distributed. (Taste and add more salt if needed.) Use right away or roll into a cylinder, wrap tightly in wax paper, seal in a resealable plastic bag, and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.

Anchovy Butter
Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients
1 lb unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 anchovy fillets (preferably salt-packed)
½ teaspoon fine sea salt (optional)

Directions
Rinse the anchovy fillets in cool water; if they have bones, remove them. Grind the anchovy fillets with a mortar and pestle or in a food processor until a paste forms. Put the room-temperature butter and anchovy paste in a bowl and, with a wooden spoon, beat the paste into the butter until evenly distributed. Taste the butter, and add the salt if necessary. If you used salt-packed anchovies, it shouldn’t need more salt (but if you used oil-packed anchovies, it might). Use right away or roll into a cylinder, wrap tightly in wax paper, seal in a resealable plastic bag, and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.

Maître d’Hôtel Butter
Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients
1 lb unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
¼ cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup finely minced shallots
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

Directions
When the butter is soft, put it in a owl and, with a wooden spoon, beat in the lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon at a time. When all the lemon juice has been added, beat in the lemon zest, parsley, shallots, salt, and pepper. (Taste the butter and add more salt and pepper or lemon juice if needed). Use right away or roll into a cylinder, wrap tightly in wax paper, seal in a resealable plastic bag, and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.

Blue Butter
Makes about 6 tablespoons

Ingredients
¼ cup blue cheese (like Point Reyes Original Blue or Stilton)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 dashes Pickapeppa or Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives

Directions
With a fork, mash together the cheese and butter the Pickapeppa or Worcestershire in a medium bowl. When the cheese is evenly distributed, stir in the chives. Chill the compound butter if using the same day or roll onto a log, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 3 months.