Best Butter Sauces

Compound butter is one of the great unsung tools of home cooking. With about ten minutes of work, you turn ordinary butter into a finishing sauce that can transform anything you put it on. This garlic-rosemary version leans Mediterranean, with citrus zest brightening the woody rosemary and garlic.

The technique is barely a recipe. Soften the butter, mince the garlic and rosemary finely, mix in everything else, and you’re done. The flavors meld even better if the butter rests in the fridge for an hour before using.

Fresh rosemary is essential. Dried rosemary turns gritty and pine-needle-like in butter, while fresh leaves chop cleanly into tiny aromatic flecks that distribute evenly. Strip the leaves from the stem and run a sharp knife through them several times.

The pinch of crushed red chile is small but mighty. It adds a barely perceptible warmth that lifts the rest of the flavors without making the butter taste spicy. Don’t skip it.

Melt to serve as the directions say, but don’t boil. High heat breaks butter’s emulsion and turns it greasy. Gentle melting in a small saucepan keeps the texture silky.

Use this on grilled steak, salmon, corn on the cob, baked potatoes, roasted vegetables, or just spread on warm crusty bread. It’s the kind of sauce that elevates simple things.

Chef Tips

• Use room-temperature butter for the easiest mixing. Cold butter won’t incorporate the herbs and aromatics evenly.
• Wrap shaped logs of compound butter in plastic wrap for easy slicing into rounds for plating.
• Freeze portions in ice cube trays for easy single-serving use later.
• Try pouring melted butter sauce over freshly steamed shellfish for an instant scampi-style dish.

Variations

• Replace rosemary with fresh basil and 1 tablespoon pine nuts for a pesto butter.
• Use thyme and lemon zest for a classic French herb butter.
• Mix in 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan and a pinch of nutmeg for a pasta-finishing butter.