Around the holidays, it’s overwhelming to not only get everything together but also to be inventive and try new things that will interest your guests. We always try to include a little something extra special that can turn an ordinary or traditional dish into something unexpected and conversation worthy.

Compound butter is one of those tricks we keep up our sleeve and pull out around the holidays or when we are entertaining a large crowd. First off, it’s beyond easy to make. There’s nothing to cook! You just cut up the ingredients, mix it up and put it back in the fridge. You can also make it a few days in advance. I love this! I find the actual day of holidays and events so stressful, anything I can do in advance is loved. I make this up to three days in advance. On the day of, is full of people we haven’t seen in a long time, dogs running around, and kids that we want to catch up with. Let’s keep the stress at a minimum.

The two recipes we provided below can be suited for a number of dishes. Here’s a quick list! (Cause I love to make lists!)

Compound Butter: Garlic and Herb

• – Steak
• – Mashed potatoes (life changing, I’m telling ya)
• – Rolls
• – Butter your turkey before cooking
• – Under the skin of a chicken you roast
• – Lamb

Compound Butter: Cilantro Lime

• – Fish Tacos
• – Smoked salmon on toast points
• – Any seafood really
• – Grilled chicken

 

Compound Butter Recipe

Garlic and Herb

• 8 ounces unsalted butter, softened to room temp
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons oregano, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Cilantro Lime

• 8 ounces unsalted butter, softened to room temp
• 1 -2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• Zest from one lime

Reserve herbs for decorations.

Directions for Either Set of Ingredients

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
2. Pack mixed butter in a nice dish and refrigerate until firm. If you’d like, you can also make a log and wrap in waxed paper. Keeps for about 5 days in the fridge.

Recipe notes: This butter can get pretty darn salty, so if you add it to a recipe, taste for salt and cut back on salt in the recipe. I’d use sea salt for sure cause it gives that nice salty kick that reminds me of European butter. If you plan on using for recipes, I find a log easier to manage because the butter can be hard to cut in a fancy dish.