Rosemary & Garlic Compound Butter

Do you have a favorite herb you like to cook with?  I have many, of course.  One of my favorites to use with breads, meats, and potatoes is rosemary.  Another favorite of mine, is to make a compound butter with a garlic paste and finely chopped rosemary.  If you’ve never tried  a compound butter like this, you are missing out!  Unless you’re not a fan of rosemary or garlic, then this might not be the recipe for you.  BUT, if you do happen to share a love for rosemary, garlic, and butter, you are going to absolutely love how these three come together.  It’s a simple recipe with many uses!

Here is what you will need:

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup of unsalted butter (2 sticks)

1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary

Mash together the garlic and salt with a mortar and pestle until it forms a paste.

In a medium sized bowl, mash the butter with a fork to soften it up.

Add the finely chopped rosemary and garlic paste.

Continue to mash the butter with the rosemary and garlic until everything is well combined and the butter is soft enough to spread.

Taste test with a slice of toasted bread (it goes great with sourdough) to make sure it has enough salt to your liking.  If you love rosemary and garlic as much as we do, I’m willing to bet you won’t stop at one bite ;).

After sampling the butter, you can either store it in two 1/2 cup airtight containers such as these:

Or you can wrap it in parchment paper.  The benefit of using parchment paper is that it’s easier to measure if you decide you want to use the butter for cooking.

Pour half the butter directly onto the center of a large piece of parchment paper.  Fold one side  over, covering the butter.

Use the edge of a scraper, or skinny book if you don’t have a scraper, to tightly seal and shape the butter until it reaches your desired size.  I try to get it as close to its original size as possible.

Roll it up and twist the ends shut at the same time.  It helps to twist in opposite directions.  While twisting, press gently inward as it tightens until the butter is nice and snug and formed into a round stick of solid butter.  Refrigerate until firm.  Overnight is best, but not necessary.

A few ways you can use it:  Sauteing vegetables, on baguettes, roasting potatoes, on warmed flour tortillas, scramble or fry eggs in it.  Enjoy!