French · Appetizers · Condiment, dressing or rub

Compound Butter

Soft butter mixed with garlic, parsley and lemon, rolled into a log and chilled; a quick way to flavour steak, fish and bread.

10 min prep and cooking plus 1 hr Chilling 1 hr 10 min start to finish Serves 8 servings Easy
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Compound Butter, Step by Step

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  1. Beat the butter with the garlic, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt until smooth and evenly mixed.

  2. Spoon onto a sheet of greaseproof paper and roll into a log about 4 cm thick. Twist the ends to seal.

  3. Chill for 1 hour until firm. Slice into rounds to serve.

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Tips for Making Compound Butter

  • Soften the butter at room temperature; do not melt it.
  • Dry the parsley thoroughly so the butter does not weep.
  • Slice and freeze rounds on a tray, then bag them, to use from frozen.

Common Substitutions & Variations

  • An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.

What to Serve with Compound Butter

  • Grilled steak
  • Baked fish
  • Corn on the cob
  • Warm bread

Storing & Reheating Compound Butter

Keeps for 4 days in the fridge, because it contains raw garlic. Freeze for 3 months.

Compound Butter FAQ: Common Questions

How long does Compound Butter take to make?

10 minutes of preparation and of cooking, plus 1 hour of Chilling, so allow 1 hour 10 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 8.

The Numbers per Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.

225Calories
0gProtein
0gCarbs
25gFat
0gFibre
0gSugar
150mgSodium

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Compiled by Turab

Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.

First published .