This Shallot Herb Compound Butter is so easy to prepare and will give new life to everything from your favorite steak to sauteed vegetables to even fish. Make it ahead of time and keep it in the freezer for a quick dinner shortcut.
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About My Shallot Herb Compound Butter
Every once in a while, an idea is so simple that I forget to share it with everyone else. Shallot Herb Compound Butter is one of those ideas. It’s as simple as a quick saute folded into soft butter and cooled again. But have a slice of this shallot butter on a steak hot off the grill and it is just magical.
We made this shallot butter on a vacation recently with the extended family. By the end of the meal, everyone was making muffled yummmmm noises while chewing and wiping up the melted butter with the rest of their steaks. The flavors in this Shallot Herb Compound Butter are not going to overpower your dish – but they will elevate it to crazy delicious.
Compound Butter To Dress Up Sautéed Vegetables
So many varieties of sauteed vegetables pass across my kitchen table every week. Aside from being important for a healthy diet and delicious too – sauteed veggies are also pretty easy and fast to prepare. That makes them perfect for weeknight dinners when my full-time job of being a food blogger meets my other full-time job of kid wrangling.
But what if your family is getting sick of the same veggies? Maybe you need just a little something new to dress them up and make them interesting again. Enter: my famous shallot butter recipe!
A pro tip is to make this Shallot Herb Compound Butter ahead and stick it in the freezer. Veggies get a huge upgrade with butter, shallots, garlic, and herbs in the pan, and it takes literally no time because the work is already done. (Slicing ahead makes it easier to just pull the vegetables out of the freezer and toss them in the pan.)
Ingredients
Compound butter is very versatile. You can add pretty much any aromatics or fresh herbs that you like. You can even add citrus zest, fresh garlic, or anchovy for adventurous eaters! I landed on these core ingredients for this shallot compound butter:
- Great quality unsalted butter
- Shallots
- Garlic
- Chives
- Parsley
- Olive oil
- Salt
How To Make Shallot Herb Butter
- Allow two sticks of butter soften on the counter overnight. Do not use the microwave to soften or melt the butter, as this will cause uneven temperature.
- Add one tablespoon of your olive oil to a small sauté pan and warm over medium heat.
- Add the chopped shallots and allow them to soften for about two minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the minced garlic and let the veggies cook for an additional minute until the garlic is fragrant and soft. Do not allow the garlic to brown. Remove from the heat.
- Add the room-temperature butter to a small bowl. Top with the cooked shallot and garlic. Also add minced chives, parsley, and one teaspoon of the salt. Using a flexible rubber spatula, gently fold the ingredients into the butter until well combined and there are no streaks left.
- Turn out the compound butter onto a square of plastic wrap and form a log with the butter. Wrap it up tightly and firmly, twist the ends of the plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least two hours to allow it to firm.
- Slice into ¾-inch slices and top your steaks, chicken, fish, and veggies!
FAQs
Can I Make Sweet Compound Butter For Desserts?
You can add anything to compound butter, including sweetness! For a sweet treat, make a compound butter with some softened butter, honey, cinnamon, vanilla beans, or pumpkin pie spice. Top bagels, English muffins, banana bread, or grilled pound cake with your sweet compound butter.
What Other Fresh Herbs Lend Well To Compound Butter?
If you have a large herb garden, this is the perfect time to experiment with shallot herb compound butter recipes. Some herbs that are popular would be rosemary, sage, basil, parsley, thyme, oregano, and chives. Some less common herbs would be tarragon, marjoram, cilantro, or arugula. You can add these herbs in any combination you see fit. Mix and match!
Can You Use Browned Butter For Garlic Herb Compound Butter?
Using browned butter will add a little time and energy onto the recipe, but shallot butter for steak can be done with browned butter. Simply brown the butter in a medium saucepan until the butter is toasty and the solids on the bottom of the pan are deep in color. Allow the browned butter to come to a softened room temperature before continuing on with the recipe.
What Are Some Other Compound Butter Ideas?
As with most of my recipes, the sky's the limit! Shallot garlic butter is a classic, but another herb butter I love is one with lots of citrus. Around Thanksgiving time, I make an herb compound butter with orange zest and fresh sage. For my Christmas roast, I like chestnut garlic herb butter with lots of black pepper and lemon juice. Season up your compound butter based on the seasons!
Recipes Perfect For Using Your Shallot Herb Compound Butter
Shallot Herb Compound Butter Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter softened
- 4 shallots minced
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 2 tbsp fresh chives mince
- 2 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Let 2 sticks of butter soften on the counter. Do not use the microwave to soften or melt the butter!
- Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a small sauté pan and warm over medium heat. Add shallots and allow them to soften for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add minced garlic and let the mixture cook for an additional 1 minute until the garlic is fragrant and soft. Remove from heat.
- Add sticks of softened butter to a small bowl. Add cooked shallot and garlic. Also add minced chives, parsley and 1 tsp salt (you will use less if your butter is salted) Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the ingredients into the butter until well combined.
- Turn out butter onto a square of plastic wrap and form a log with the butter. Wrap it up, twist the ends and pop the compound butter into the fridge for at least 2 hours to let it become firm again.
- Add a thick slice of butter to hot steak, fish, or sautéed veggies!
lorrie
Please make your recipes printable...we won't have to waste full sheets of paper then...thanks.