Beurre composé, or compound butter—butter creamed with various flavorings—is a classic French accompaniment, used to top anything from broiled steak or fish to steamed vegetables. Compound butter can be frozen and a few slices cut off whenever the need arises.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes about 1/2 cup
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Finely chop garlic. In a small bowl soak porcini in boiling-hot water 20 minutes. Remove porcini, squeezing out excess liquid, and reserve soaking liquid. Rinse porcini to remove any grit and finely chop. Line a sieve set over a small saucepan with a dampened paper towel and pour reserved soaking liquid through it. Add porcini and garlic to saucepan and simmer mixture until liquid is reduced to about 1 tablespoon, about 3 minutes. Cool mixture.
Step 2
In a bowl with a fork mash together butter, porcini mixture, and salt and pepper to taste until combined well. Transfer butter to a sheet of wax paper and roll into a 6-inch log. Butter may be kept, covered and chilled, 2 days or frozen, wrapped in foil, 1 month. Bring butter to room temperature before using.
Variations:
Step 3
Here are a few compound butters we find particularly versatile. Using the basic technique of mashing together butter and flavoring in the recipe above, and with a little imagination, you can create your own favorites.
Step 4
• Beurre maître d'hôtel: 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves
Step 5
• Truffle butter: 1 small black winter truffle or 2 small black summer truffles, chopped fine
Step 6
• Roquefort butter: 3 tablespoons crumbled Roquefort (only 1/2 stick butter needed for this variation)
