Compound butter is a chef's best friend, and is one of the secrets of French bistro cuisine. Maitre d'Hotel butter - with a little lemon zest and parsley mixed in - gives bistro food its distinctive character.
Maitre d'Hotel butter is versatile. I use it to saute vegetables, baste roast chicken, and season mussels. But the best way to use this butter is to finish a steak. Put a pat on top of a cooked steak, right when it comes off the heat; the butter melts, mingling with the juices and making my all time favorite steak sauce.
More on Steak with Maitre d'Hotel butter on Thursday…
Compound butter is easy to make, and keeps forever in the freezer; I always make a big batch, and freeze the rest. Then I have frozen assets - ready and waiting for me to shave off a slice when dinner needs a flavor boost.
Inspired by dinner at Le Bistro du Beaujolais in Olmsted Falls, Ohio. Looking for bistro French in Northeastern Ohio? It's worth the drive.
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đŸ“– Recipe Card
Compound Butter with Parsley and Lemon (Maitre d'Hotel Butter)
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 ounces 1x
Description
Classic maitre d'hotel butter with parsley, lemon juice and zest, rolled into a log and frozen so you can slice off a pat whenever you need it.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¼ cup minced parsley
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Process: Put all the ingredients in a food processor, and process until completely combined, about 30 seconds.
- Shape: Scrape the butter onto a sheet of parchment paper in a rough rectangle. Fold the paper over the butter, and push a bench scraper against the paper under the butter, squeezing it into a cylinder. Work up and down the log until it's about the width of a quarter.
- Store: Twist the ends of the paper to seal. Put the log in a zip-top bag, and freeze for up to 6 months.
Notes
Equipment: A food processor, parchment paper and a bench scraper.
Take the butter out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes ahead. It needs to be soft to process properly.
No food processor? Beat the butter with a mixer.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
What do you think?
How do you use compound butter? Tell us about it in the comments below.
Related Posts
Maitre d'Hotel Butter can substitute for the butter sauce in any of these recipes…
Grilled Butterflied Chicken with Garlic Butter
Shrimp Saute with Garlic Butter
Pan Seared Ribeye with Shallot and Herb Butter
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Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
Great idea! Thanks for sharing.
MLD says
Delicious on green beans...