Three Compound Butters - One Sweet, Two Savory

I love the ease and convenience of compound butters. Honey butter is probably the first one I ever had, and I love the way it melts into warm bread or rolls.

When I went to college at Rutgers University, I went to a restaurant that served steaks with savory compound butter. A round of herby butter would be placed on top of the hot meat just before serving, and by the time it came to the table the melted butter oozed over the sides onto the plate. That was over 30 years ago, and I still remember how delicious it was!

I mixed up three compound butters: Honey Butter; Lemon Garlic Parsley Butter; and Ginger Parsley Sesame Butter.

Sweet Honey Butter is wonderful on rolls, bread, toast, and sweet potatoes.

Lemon Garlic Parsley Butter is tasty on pasta, and makes a fast dinner special with no more effort than putting a dab or two of this compound butter on hot pasta, or spread on a baguette to make garlic bread.

Ginger Parsley Sesame Butter is one I made to put on grilled salmon. We grill salmon wrapped in foil, and I thought this would be a terrific alternative to the usual olive oil and sesame seeds we usually season the salmon with. Put some of the compound butter on the fish, wrap to seal, and grill or cook as usual. The butter will melt over the fish, and the ginger, parsley, and sesame seeds will coat the top and sides.

Compound Butter is as easy as mixing tasty ingredients into room temperature butter. I add a pinch of salt to my unsalted butter, even to sweet honey butter.

Honey Butter (Bottom - Photo)

3 T unsalted butter, room temperature
1 T honey, or to taste
Pinch of salt

Lemon Garlic Parsley Butter (Center - Photo)

3 T unsalted butter, room temperature
Zest of one lemon
1 t chopped garlic, (or a pea-sized squeeze of Gourmet Garden Chunky Garlic)
1 t chopped parsley
Pinch of salt

Ginger Parsley Sesame Butter (Top - Photo)

3 T unsalted butter, room temperature
1 t grated ginger
1 t chopped parsley
1 T sesame seeds
Pinch of salt

For each compound butter: Combine ingredients, roll in wax paper or put into a ramekin, wrap with plastic wrap, and freeze or chill in refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Visit me at LindaGordonHengerer.com to see what else I'm cooking up!