Compound Butter Basics
Making compound butter is one of the easiest, most versatile projects you can undertake in the kitchen. As long as you’ve got butter and your seasonings, it’s a snap to make. And the results are sure to impress.
by
Land O'Lakes Test Kitchen
by
Land O'Lakes Test Kitchen
What is Compound Butter?
A compound butter ("beurre composé" in French) is simply butter mixed with other ingredients to add sweet or savory flavor. Common mix-ins include honey, herbs, garlic and other strongly flavored ingredients. Though it may sound complicated, compound butter is easy to make at home. Just whip softened butter with your chosen ingredients, form the butter into desired shape and chill until firm.
Using Compound Butter
Compound butter adds richness and pungency to simple grilled meats, fish, vegetables, beans, pasta, breads and eggs.
A few ways to use it:
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Spread it on baked goods such as bread, rolls and biscuits, …
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Melt it and use to elevate meat, fish or vegetables
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Use it in an ingredient in baked goods or rich sauces
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Stir it into pasta or rice to add complex flavor
How to Make Compound Butter
Check out our Compound Butter Recipes collection for easy ways to whip up these sweet and savory spreads.
How to Store Compound Butter
Store compound butter in the fridge, just as you would regular butter. How long compound butter lasts depends on ingredients used. If you’ve added fresh herbs, your compound butter will last about five days. If you’ve added shelf-stable ingredients such as cinnamon or honey, it will last longer.
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