Artificial Flavors Free Maître d' Butter
Compound butter from a restaurant kitchen sounds fancy, but this classic preparation is genuinely one of the simplest things you can make at home. Fresh flat-leaf parsley, bright lemon zest, a squeeze of juice, sea salt, and cracked black pepper get beaten into softened unsalted butter until every bite is evenly herby and fragrant. The whole thing gets rolled into a tidy log, chilled until firm, and then sliced into elegant little rounds that melt dramatically over a hot steak, a fillet of fish, or a pile of roasted vegetables. Store-bought flavored butters often sneak in natural and artificial flavor additives to mimic that fresh, bright taste — here, every bit of flavor comes from real ingredients you can see and smell. It's the kind of finishing touch that makes a weeknight dinner feel like something special, and it keeps beautifully in the fridge or freezer so you always have a round ready to go.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tsp lemon zest (from about 1 lemon)
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Place the softened butter in a mixing bowl and beat with a fork or hand mixer until smooth and evenly creamy, about 1 minute.
- 2
Add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Mix until the herbs and seasonings are evenly distributed throughout the butter with no streaks remaining.
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