How to Make Flavored Butters

One cook's secret weapon can add a touch of elegance to meat, fish, or pastas

ByTony Rosenfeld Fine Cooking Issue 73

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Some people keep chocolate-chip cookies on hand in the freezer for emergency entertaining. Flavored butters are my secret weapon. No matter the occasion or the meal, they add a touch of elegance, dressing up simple roasts and sautés or jazzing up steamed vegetables or plain pastas.

调味黄油的魔力（也称为复合黄油）是，它们的本质仍然安全地锁定在冬眠状态，直到他们瞬间融化到您烹饪的任何东西上。然后，口味涌出。它只需要一点点味道和最平凡的餐点 - 烤牛排，炒猪排，一条烤鱼 - 变得特别。

Better yet, making flavored butters is ridiculously easy. First, look no further than the pantry or refrigerator for flavor inspiration. Citrus juice and zest, fresh herbs, spices, and full-flavored ingredients like shallots, scallions, ginger, sun-dried tomatoes, and olives complement butter’s richness and give it a good punch.

Next, mix and mash these bright ingredients with a stick of softened butter until they’re well combined. You can do this by hand, or you can use a food processor. The food processor works especially well for emulsifying liquids like citrus juice into the butter, and it’s also handy when you don’t have time to let the butter soften completely.

Finally, roll up the butter in plastic wrap, parchment, or waxed paper and refrigerate for up to two weeks. For longer storage, you can slice the butter into pats and freeze in zip-top bags, where they’ll be ready to go whenever you need a quick hit of flavor.

为了让您开始，这里有食谱Lemon-Herb ButterandChipotle-Cilantro Butter(two of my favorites), plus ideas for several more. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be able to whip up flavored butters of your own invention in no time at all.

1. Mix and mash together all of the ingredients until they’re evenly combined. Work the butter by hand or use a food processor.

2. Fold the plastic over the butter, hold a ruler against the butter, and pull on the lower end of the plastic to produce even pressure that will squeeze the butter into a uniform log.

3. Twist the ends of the plastic wrap, sausage style, and tuck them under the butter log to make a neat little package that’s ready for chilling.

Flavored butter inspiration

Add a pat ofcurry-ginger butterto steamed basmati rice or skewered grilled shrimp.
Meltchile-lime butteron sautéed chicken breasts or on sliced grilled flank steak.
Toss steamed green beans with杏仁柠檬黄油or melt on roasted fish.
Spreadorange-cinnamon butteron French toast, pancakes, or waffles.
Serve黑色橄榄摩西奶酪黄油with crusty bread as an hors d’oeuvres or fold into mashed potatoes.