Herbs in the Pantry: Herbal Butters
Spread the garden’s flavor with herbal butters.
By Theresa Loe
June/July 2007
 |
Creamy herbal butters are a delicious way to capture the flavor of the garden.
Illustration by Peggy Turchette
|
With the garden in full swing, now is the time to capture and preserve the fresh flavors of all that bounty. Herbal butters are perfect for this task because they offer a whole world of culinary possibilities. They can be added to sauces, melted over pasta, drizzled on vegetables, dabbed on cooked meat and brushed onto grilled foods. Additionally, herbal butters hold up well when frozen, allowing you retrieve the flavors of summer when your garden is just a memory.
RELATED CONTENT
This is delicious on scones, quick breads, biscuits and toast....
Chickweed is traditionally used to tame coughs and hoarseness, but this native southern European he...
Latin Americans love this traditional sauce, and each country seems to have its own variation. Try ...
This delightfully sweet and fragrant butter is excellent on muffins, pancakes, or waffles....
Kalamata olives are large, black, pungent Greek olives often found in specialty food stores. If you...
Herbal Butter Recipes:
• Basic Recipe
• Lemon Butter
• Flower Butter
• Sweet Orange-Ginger Butter
• Online Exclusive: Lemon-Butter Sauce with Chervil
Butter Basics
I use unsalted butter in my recipes so I can control the salt content and have the option of making a sweet butter with honey and herbs. These sweet butters are delicious on quick breads and scones. If you are looking to lower your cholesterol and/or dairy intake, substitute a nondairy spread or trans-fat free margarine for the butter—herb-infused spreads are a great way to add extra flavor to a restricted diet. Whatever your choice of spreadable base, the process is basically the same. Combine softened butter with freshly chopped herbs, spices, lemon juice and a bit of salt (if desired).
For a bit of fun and an added touch of elegance, try your hand at molded butter. (Flexible butter molds are available in various shapes at gourmet food supply and hobby stores.) Fill a flexible mold with softened herb butter, chill for 15 minutes and then pop out the molded butter portions. You also can make your own shapes using a small cookie cutter. Chill softened herb butter for 10 minutes and roll it out between two sheets of wax paper to about ¼ inch thick. Remove the top sheet and use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes.