MAKING HERB BUTTER
Herb butter combines available fresh herbs with sweet butter for a flavorful
spread. Because sweet butter contains no salt, herb butter is a good low-sodium
alternative.
Good herbs for making butter include chives, dill, society garlic, watercress,
mint, tarragon, lovage, and caraway. Rosemary butter is good on lamb chops.
Oregano butter goes well with roast corn. Combined basil and parsley butter
works nicely on fish or vegetables. Make a *fines
herbes butter for eggs, French bread or pasta.
Recipe
 To
make herb butter combine 1/2 cup sweet (unsalted) butter, which has been
warmed to room temperature, with tablespoons minced fresh herbs, 2
minced shallots, 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar and 1/8teaspoon of white
pepper. Alternatively, use 1 1/2 teaspoons dried herbs or 1/2 teaspoon
of herb seeds per 1/2 cup butter. Use less of such strongly flavored herbs
as oregano, thyme and society garlic. If the herb is mild, use more.
Place ingredients into a blender or food processor and mix until smooth.
Roll the mixture into a cylinder and cover with foil, or place in a covered
crock, butter mold or ice cube tray. Refrigerate for three hours until
the mixture is firm and the tastes meld. Store in in the refrigerator
for one week or the freezer for two months.
*fines
herbes
Fines herbes is a combination of chervil, parsley, thyme, and tarragon,
freshly minced and stirred into or sprinkled on top of cold dishes. Add
fines herbes to recipes at the very last minute of cooking. Use them with
eggs, sautes, and cheese sauces.
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