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Garlic Herb Butter

Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 10 tablespoons
Author Margaret Bose Johnson

Ingredients

  • ½ cup (115gms) soft unsalted butter
  • finely grated zest of half a lemon
  • 1 clove garlic, finely grated
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives or green onions
  • 4 tablespoons (¼ cup) finely chopped mixed fresh herbs, leaves only
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt (omit if using salted butter)
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice (optional)

Instructions

  • If the butter is too cold to spread easily, heat it in the microwave for 10 seconds to soften it.
  • Finely chop the herbs, discarding the stems. Zest the lemon and grate the garlic on a microplane grater.
  • Stir together all the ingredients until well incorporated in the butter.
  • Pack the butter into a jar and keep in the refrigerator for up to a week, or scrape it onto a piece of plastic food wrap or parchment paper and roll it up, shaping it into a roll that is 1½-inches (4cm) in diameter. Twist the ends, then pop the roll into a ziptop freezer bag and freeze it for up to 6 months. When needed, remove it from the freezer, unwrap and cut off as many slices as needed and return the rest to the freezer.
  • Makes ⅔ cup (160ml).

Notes

Use soft herbs like parsley, dill, chives, basil, cilantro, chervil, oregano, and/or tarragon. If using stronger flavoured herbs like thyme, rosemary, sage, or mint, just use 1 - 2 teaspoons of each in the whole mix of chopped herbs.
To use the garlic herb butter:
For fish and seafood - spread a thick layer of the butter on fish or seafood before grilling or on the top after turning the fish and cooking the first side.
For red meats (like steaks) grill them first, then add a pat of the herb butter on top of the meat right after grilling and let it melt over the meat to provide a rich and luscious glaze and a layer of finishing flavour.
For grilled vegetables: brush them with the garlic herb butter near the end of their grilling time.
For garlic bread, spread the garlic herb butter onto each side of the slices of a loaf of French bread, put the slices back together and wrap the loaf in aluminum foil and grill or heat it in the oven until the butter is melted and the bread is crisped up.