Garlic Butter

This recipe has been tailored to accompany the Edible Learning Lab Teaching Kitchen collection of lessons. The simplified instructions make it an ideal recipe for young students. It is intended to accompany the lesson, Press It.

I remember the first time I had an herb butter on a steak in a restaurant.  I sat there watching it melt into the marbling of that ribeye as if it were some huge feat of science.  I was 11 years old.

Compound butters take many forms but my personal favorite, and the one I turn to most often, is garlic butter.  Garlic is near the top of my list of flavors and when you deliver it in butter it’s hard to beat.  We use garlic butter on popcorn, as a vegetable and steak topper, to finish mashed potatoes, and as the fat in fish dishes.

Now that I’m a father, I’m still in awe of the magic that this simple ingredient has at the dinner table.  I love watching my boys stare in amazement at the pat of garlic butter as it melts and releases its fragrance.  It may be one of the few things that keep them from diving head first into their plate when it’s placed in front of them!

Garlic Butter

Print Recipe

Compound butters always impress unsuspecting diners in restaurants. But they are so easy to make that you could and should be making them at home. This recipe for garlic butter is great on grilled steak, chicken, or vegetables but it's the star of the best garlic bread you've never had. Use to elevate mashed potatoes or a slice of sourdough at breakfast.

• CourseCondiment
• CuisineTeaching Kitchen Recipes

Servings	Prep Time
1 log	10 minutes

Servings Prep Time 1 log 10 minutes

Garlic Butter Print Recipe Compound butters always impress unsuspecting diners in restaurants. But they are so easy to make that you could and should be making them at home. This recipe for garlic butter is great on grilled steak, chicken, or vegetables but it's the star of the best garlic bread you've never had. Use to elevate mashed potatoes or a slice of sourdough at breakfast. CourseCondiment CuisineTeaching Kitchen Recipes Servings Prep Time 1 log 10 minutes Servings Prep Time 1 log 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter softened at room temperature
• 2 cloves garlic pressed
• 1 Tbsp parsley finely chopped
• 1 pinch sea salt or to taste

Servings: log

Instructions

1. Bring a stick of butter to room temperature and place it in a mixing bowl. Add the pressed garlic and the other ingredients and mix with a spatula.

   
2. Shape the butter into a log and place it on a piece of plastic wrap. Roll and store in the refrigerator or freezer until needed.

   
3. Cut 1/4 inch pats of butter as needed.

Recipe Notes

The butter is easier to work with at room temperature but a mixer can be used for butter that is still too cold to work by hand.  When forming the log with the compound butter it may be easier to chill it first to firm it up a bit.

Share this Recipe

Use this batch of garlic butter to prepare the following recipes:

• Grilled Ribeye
• Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Garlic Butter Noodles

The process of making a compound butter is the same regardless of the ingredients.  Herb butters, fruit butters, pepper butters, and spice butters are all made using the same technique.  So go forth and be daring.  Play with the your own recipes and pair them with anything you want.  You won’t be disappointed.