Spreadable Compound Butter
Here's how to make a butter spread that you can spread straight from the refrigerator. No more waiting for butter to warm to room temperature, and no more having to leave it out on the counter. Better yet, it is filled with herbs and spices for that "compound butter" flair!
Ingredients
- 1 Stick Butter Unsalted
- 1/2 C Canola or Vegetable Oil Any Oil That Does Not Solidify When Refrigerated
- 2 Cloves Garlic Minced
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Onion Minced
- 2 Tbsp Fresh Parsley or Other Fresh Herbs Finely Chopped
- 1/2 Lemon Juiced (Roughly 1 Tbsp)
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- Additional Salt and Pepper to Taste
Instructions
- Add the butter and oil to a microwave safe dish and microwave 1 minute at a time until the butter is melted through. Roughly 2 minutes total.1 Stick Butter, 1/2 C Canola or Vegetable Oil
- Mix the rest of the ingredients with the butter mixture. Once mixed, add additional salt and pepper to taste.2 Cloves Garlic, 1 1/2 Tbsp Onion, 2 Tbsp Fresh Parsley or Other Fresh Herbs, 1/2 Lemon, 1/2 tsp Salt, 1/2 tsp Pepper, Additional Salt and Pepper to Taste
- Place the butter in the refrigerator to begin cooling and solidifying. It is important to mix it once it reaches a gel-like thickness, in order to suspend the herbs and spices throughout the mixture. This usually takes about 30 minutes.
- After giving the butter one last stir, let it chill at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
- Serve it straight from the refrigerator. Note: the spread may appear grainy at first because of some solidification of the oil in the refrigerator. It will quickly become smooth as it warms up. Spread on bread or use it to top potatoes, steamed broccoli, hot steaks or anything that can be made better with delicious compound butter. Be sure to refrigerate any leftovers.
Notes
If you want to make a simple, spreadable butter, make this recipe without any salt or spices added. All you need is equal parts butter and canola oil. Note that other oils, like olive oil, will not work as well because they solidify more easily when refrigerated.
Other fresh herbs you can use in combination with, or in place of parsley, include basil, thyme, oregano and sage. Minced, fresh chili is another good option.
This recipe is meant to be used as a good addition to the most foods and recipes possible, but feel free to make your own flavor/spice combos. My recommendation is to keep the seasoning (herbs, onion, lemon juice, garlic, etc.) volume to around 6 Tbsp per cup of butter and oil, excluding salt and pepper.
Though they won’t have the same flair as fresh, you can use dry spices. If using dry spices, use 1/3 of the amount. 1 tsp of dried parsley equates to 1 Tbsp.