Legume Free Caribbean Jerk-Style Compound Butter
This compound butter is a little jar of Caribbean sunshine packed into a sliceable log — fiery scotch bonnet, warm allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a bright hit of lime zest all swirled into creamy unsalted butter. The result is bold, aromatic, and deeply layered in a way that makes even a simple grilled chicken breast feel like a proper occasion. Legume-free cooking can sometimes feel like you're sacrificing depth of flavor, especially with spice blends where hidden fillers or mixed seasonings are common culprits — but every single ingredient here is clean and straightforward. You're building the flavor yourself from scratch, so there's no guesswork about what's actually in it. A touch of maple syrup rounds out the heat from the habanero without dulling it, and fresh ginger keeps everything lively. Once you've rolled it into a log and chilled it firm, you'll have rounds ready to melt over grilled fish, roasted vegetables, or anything else that deserves a glossy, spiced finish. Make a batch on Sunday and you'll be reaching for it all week.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 tbsp scallion greens, finely sliced (green tops only)
- 1 tsp fresh scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, seeded and minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1 tsp lime zest (from about 1 lime)
- 1 tsp fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- ¾ tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, scallion greens, scotch bonnet pepper, ginger, lime zest, lime juice, and maple syrup. Beat with a fork or hand mixer until the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the butter.
- 2
Add the allspice, cinnamon, thyme, black pepper, nutmeg, smoked paprika, and salt. Beat again until the spices are fully incorporated and the butter is uniform in color with no dry pockets of spice visible. Fold in the cilantro, if using.
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