Herb Butter
Softened butter mixed with parsley, chives, garlic and lemon, rolled in greaseproof paper and chilled to slice.
Photograph credit: Cooking - Herb Butters by Edsel L · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Flickr · this resized copy is shared under the same licence
A good butter on the table turns the plainest meal into something worth sitting down for. Herb butter takes 10 minutes to make, keeps well and lifts everything from steak to a boiled potato.
Soften the butter at room temperature until it gives easily under a finger, but is not oily. If the butter melts, the herbs sink to the bottom and the butter will not set evenly. Chop the herbs very finely. Large pieces tear through the slices and look untidy.
Garlic is strong when raw. A single small clove is enough for 125 g of butter, and it mellows as the butter rests. Lemon zest brightens the flavour without adding liquid, which would split the butter.
Roll the butter into a log in greaseproof paper and chill. Slice it into rounds to melt on hot food. Use whatever soft herbs you have, such as dill, tarragon or basil. Wrapped well, the butter can sit in the freezer, ready to slice.
What People Ask
How long does Herb 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 Method for Herb Butter
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Beat the butter with a fork until soft and creamy.
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Mix in the parsley, chives, garlic, lemon zest and salt until evenly combined.
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Spoon onto a sheet of greaseproof paper, shape into a log and roll up, twisting the ends.
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Chill for 1 hour until firm. Slice into rounds to serve.
Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.
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Tips That Matter
- Soften the butter at room temperature, not in the microwave.
- Chop the herbs finely.
- Use one small clove of garlic.
- Taste the butter and add salt as you like.
Changing the Recipe
- 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.
Pairs Well With
Grilled steak · Crusty bread · Baked potatoes · Grilled fish
Storage
Keeps in the fridge for 1 week. Freezes well for up to 3 months.
Nutrition 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.
Your notes on this recipe
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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 ; last changed .
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