Quick to prepare, compound butters can be spread on bread for sandwiches, or served with grilled meat or fish.

They give toast a new spin and are delicious melted into pan juices to make a rich and creamy sauce. 

Mold the butter into a ball and roll it in herbs, sesame seeds, paprika....  
It's better with butter!

• Paprika, chive and caper butter - Thierry Daraize, Québec
• Roquefort and sundried tomato butter - Thierry Daraize, Québec
• Lavender butter - Philippe Mollé, Québec

All compound butters should be made with room-temperature butter: cream it with a spatula, or use a food processor for larger quantities until it is pale and light. Unless otherwise specified, the quantities specified below will flavour 250 g (1 cup) of butter.

Anchovy Butter

• soak 125 g (4 oz.) anchovies in a little water for a few minutes;
• mash them to a paste using a mortar and pestle or a blender;
• blend into the butter; add the juice of one lemon, but do not add any salt;
• good with canapés, white meats and grilled fish

Garlic Butter

• peel 8 cloves of garlic and blanch them in boiling water for 8 minutes; dry on paper towels;
• mash the garlic to a paste using a mortar and pestle or a blender;
• blend into the butter; add a little chopped parsley;
• good with canapés, for making garlic bread, stuffing snails, etc.

Bourguignon Butter

• finely chop 150 g (5 oz.) shallots; blanch in salted water for 3 minutes; drain and squeeze out the moisture using paper towels;
• mash the shallots to a paste using a mortar and pestle or a blender;
• blend into the butter; add 2 tbsp. chopped parsley and one clove of chopped garlic;
• good with mussels or beef

Spiced Rum Butter

• blend into the butter 3 tbsp. dark rum, preferably well-aged, 60 ml (1/4 c.) brown sugar, a pinch each of nutmeg and cinnamon and ½ tsp. lemon zest;
• good with porridge or on toast

Bercy Butter

• blanch 500 g (1 lb.) beef marrow for a few minutes in boiling water; strain;
• add to the liquid 1 tsp. finely chopped shallots; 200 ml (3/4 c.) white wine; let cool;
• blend into the butter; add the juice of half a lemon, 1 tbsp. chopped parsley, salt and pepper;
• good with meats and fish.

Chive Butter

• finely chop 150 g (5 oz.) chives;
• blend into the butter; add 1 tsp. white wine if desired;
• good with baked potatoes

Lemon Butter

• blanch the zest of half a lemon for a few minutes in boiling water; dry on paper towels; chop finely;
• blend into the butter; add the juice of a lemon; season with salt and pepper;
• good with fish

Cress Butter

• soak 150 g (5 oz.) fresh chopped cress leaves in a little cold water for a few minutes; dry on paper towels;
• blend into the butter; season with salt and pepper;
• use for fancy sandwiches

Shrimp Butter

• using a mortar and pestle or a blender, mash 200 g (7 oz.) shelled deveined shrimp with the butter; season with salt and pepper;
• good with fish and shellfish

Shallot Butter

• finely chop 150 g (5 oz.) shallots; blanch for 3 minutes in salted water; squeeze out the moisture using paper towels;
• purée using a mortar and pestle or a blender;
• add to the butter; add 1 tsp. white wine if desired;
• good with grilled meats and Bourguignon fondues (cubes of meat cooked fondue-style in hot oil)

Tarragon Butter

• soak 150 g (5 oz.) chopped fresh tarragon leaves in a little cold water for a few minutes; dry on paper towels;
• blend into the butter;
• good for hors-d’oeuvres, grilled meats and fish, chicken

Raspberry Butter

• purée in a blender or food processor 400 g (14 oz.) raspberries;
• blend into the butter; add 1 tsp. honey;
• good with chicken, brioche, croissants

Montpellier Butter

• blanch 10 g parsley, 10 g cress leaves, 10 g spinach and 20 g shallots for a few minutes in boiling water; dry on paper towels;
• blend into the butter; add 1 small minced clove of garlic, 1 small finely minced cornichon [lexique], 1 crumbled hard-cooked egg and 2 tbsp. olive oil;
• good with large fish, served cold.

Maitre d’Hotel Butter

• blend into the butter an equal quantity of chopped fresh parsley; add the juice of one lemon and some mushroom duxelles (mushrooms very finely chopped and sautéed in butter until quite dry);
• good with grilled steak

Honey Butter

• blend into the butter 3 or 4 tbsp. liquid honey;
• good with vegetables, brioche

Mustard Butter

• blend into the butter 2 tbsp. strong prepared mustard; season with salt and pepper; add the juice of a lemon or a crumbled cooked egg yolk if desired;
• good with canapés, fondues, hors-d’oeuvres, grilled meats and vol-au-vents (filled puff pastry shells)

Niçois Butter

• soften 2 sundried tomatoes in a little hot oil; chop finely the tomatoes, 2 tbsp. capers, 2 anchovy fillets and 1 garlic clove;
  blend into the butter; add the juice of one lemon; season with salt and pepper;
• good with fish

Peach Butter

• purée the flesh of one peach in a blender or food processor;
• blend into the butter; add 1 tsp. honey;
• good with vegetables, cold chicken, brioche or croissants

Bell Pepper Butter

• blanch a red or green bell pepper for a few minutes in boiling water; dry on paper towels;
• purée with a mortar and pestle or in a blender;
• blend into the butter; add a pinch of cayenne pepper, salt and pepper;
• good with hors-d’oeuvres and vegetables

Roquefort Butter

• purée 150 g (5 oz.) Roquefort cheese together with 1 tsp. cognac, using a mortar and pestle or a blender;
• blend into the butter;
• good with crudités; excellent as an hors-d’oeuvre on Belgian endive leaves or on celery heart stalks