Four recipes that take homemade butter and turn it into an irresistibly delicious work of art. I owe the inspiration for these recipes to the Michelin-starred restaurant FIFTY SECONDS, where I dined in Lisbon a few years ago and was served outstanding bread alongside flavored butters. All of these butters are wonderful to serve when entertaining for Shavuot, paired with bread or a baguette. They also make an excellent base for other recipes. Try adding the truffle butter to pasta, cubes of the garlic herb and lemon butter to fish, or using any of the flavored butters in butter-based pastries.
There are two ways to store the butter: Transfer it to a jar once prepared and keep refrigerated, or place it in the center of a sheet of parchment paper and roll it tightly into a log, just as you would for chocolate biscuit salami. I recommend storing the logs in the freezer, unless the butter contains only a small amount of add-ins, in which case it can be kept in the refrigerator. If the butter is too soft to shape into a log, simply refrigerate it for a few minutes until it firms up slightly.
Garlic, herb and lemon butter
Ingredients:
- 200 grams butter, cut into cubes
- 10 confit garlic cloves — recipe follows
- 2 sprigs dill, leaves only
- 10 chive stalks or 5 scallions, green parts only
- Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon or lime
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the confit garlic:
- 10 peeled garlic cloves
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
Directions:
- To make the confit garlic: Place all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook over the lowest heat for 20 minutes, or until the garlic is very soft. Cool and store in the refrigerator together with the oil.
- Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until relatively smooth, forming a green butter with an incredible aroma.
- Transfer to a glass jar or shape into a butter log using parchment paper. If shaped into a log, store in the freezer. If stored in a jar, refrigerate.
Mushroom and truffle butter
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 package portobello mushrooms
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon truffle paste or 1/2 teaspoon truffle oil
- 200 grams butter, cut into cubes
Directions:
- Finely dice the mushrooms and sauté in a skillet with the butter for 20 minutes, or until the mushrooms are very soft and reduced in size. If any liquid remains, drain it off.
- In a medium bowl, mix all the ingredients together, including the hot sautéed mushrooms, and transfer to a glass jar. The heat from the mushrooms will melt the butter. If the mushrooms have already cooled, blend everything in a food processor to soften the butter.
- To shape into a butter log, refrigerate the prepared butter until slightly firm, then roll into a log.
- Store in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.
Beet Butter
Ingredients:
- 1 peeled beet
- 200 grams butter, cut into cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
Directions:
- In a small saucepan, cook the beet in plenty of water until completely tender. Drain well and let cool slightly.
- Transfer the beet, butter and salt to a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Transfer the flavored butter to a glass jar or shape into a log using parchment paper. Store the jar in the refrigerator and the log in the freezer.
Honey, thyme, apple jam and black pepper butter
Ingredients:
- 200 grams butter, cut into cubes
- Leaves from 2 sprigs thyme
- 3 tablespoons apple jam, orange marmalade, apricot jam or fig jam
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt — preferably Maldon, though regular coarse salt works well too
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions:
- Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until relatively smooth. It is fine if streaks of jam remain.
- Transfer the flavored butter to a glass jar or shape into a log using parchment paper.