Recipe for homemade herb butter for the grill
The grilling season has officially started, and we can finally move our dinner outdoors under the open sky. This calls for classic grill dishes such as grilled corn on the cob, steaks with garlic and herbs, and sausages with a crispy skin. And the classic grilled food can be taken to the next level with the addition of homemade compound butter.
I believe that butter is an amazing ingredient – especially when combined with delicious flavorings that you can tailor to your own taste buds.
“Butter is a great flavor enhancer, and its round and balanced taste pairs perfectly with the smoky flavor of grilled food. To give the dishes a different flavor profile, you can advantageously mix some delicious spices into your butter. It gives the food personality. And if you have the ingredients at home, it can be made in two minutes.”
These spices pair best with your grilled food
There are many grill favorites around the Danish summer landscape. And although most types of compound butter fit all kinds of food, according to the butter chef, there are some combinations that work particularly well together.
It’s a good idea to use fresh, citrus-based flavors for fish and summer’s mild vegetables. This can include lime, parsley, or dill, while the more robust herbs like thyme and rosemary go well with meat.
In general, it’s important that we take the liberty to play with our food. There are infinitely many flavor combinations, so feel free to spend some time testing different spices with small portions of butter. You might discover entirely new flavors that are just perfect for your taste buds. Personally, I’ve just started experimenting with a combination of orange and saffron. It gives the butter a fresh taste and a beautiful yellow color, and pairs well with fish.”
Homemade Herb Butter for the Grill
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Chef'S Knife
- Grater
- Bowl
- Baking Paper
Ingredients
- 1 package Butter
- 1 bunch Parsley
- 1 pcs. Shallots
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 pcs. Lemon
- 20 gram Pink peppercorns
- 10 gram Smoked paprika
Instructions
- 1. Take a package of butter out of the refrigerator in good time, so it becomes soft2. Chop 1 bunch of parsley, 1 shallot, and 2 cloves of garlic3. Grate the zest of 1 lemon on a fine grater and mix all the ingredients together with your butter in a bowl4. Add 20 g of pink peppercorns and 10 g of smoked paprika to your butter mixture5. Put your mixture in the fridge (possibly rolled in baking paper) for 10 minutes. Your herb butter is now ready to serve
Notes
Browned butter gives a delicious, caramelized flavor that pairs really well with grilled fish for example. You might benefit from melting thyme butter in a small pot in the corner of the grill, so the butter is easy to access. If you use the grill to heat your butter, it is important to keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn't boil, but melts slowly and gently.
• Brush with herbs
Brush your grilled food with butter using a bundle of rosemary or thyme when you flip it on the grill. This gives an intense flavor of the herbs.
• Play with colors
Cooking should be fun. And a great way to make your herb butter look extra exciting is by giving it a new color. For instance, you can do this by putting butter and spinach into a hand blender. Spinach releases color but not flavor, so that way the butter gets a fun green color without affecting the taste.