Butter!

three good ideas!

Other than the butter served with bread (great combo btw!) that I received at every restaurant I’ve ever been to, I’ve always been an olive oil guy. I don’t know if it’s aging, more curiosity in northern Italian, and French cuisines, or the fact that most extra virgin olive oil isn’t what they say it is anymore. but I have fallen back in love with butter. Unsalted to be specific. So here’s a simple compound butter recipe, and two butter sauces that you can try.

Combination 1: Butter and Aromatics

“compound butter”

1 stick unsalted butter, (room temperature)

1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley, plus more to garnish

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 teaspoons finely chopped capers

1 teaspoon finely chopped anchovy

In a food processor, combine the butter, parsley, lemon zest, and chopped anchovies.

Puree until smooth, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides as needed.

Remove the compound butter from the food processor onto a piece of parchment

paper. Tightly roll the butter into a log in the parchment paper. It should be about the size of the original stick of butter. Shape the parchment into a log and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.

Cut the butter log 1/4-inch-thick slices.

serve with bread.

Or put slices onto of steamed spring vegetables.

Combination 2: Butter, Anchovies, Mozzarella, and Bread

“Spiedino Romano”

(main photo)

On a skewer, alternate bread and slices of mozzarella, bake it until golden at 350ºF/180ºC

Melt a stick of butter in a pan over medium low heat, and once foaming, add 1 chopped shallot, and sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until soft. Then, shut off the heat and add: 2 tablespoons rinsed capers, 4 chopped anchovies, and 2 tablespoons chopped parsley.

Pour the butter mixture over the baked bread and cheese.

Combination 3: Butter and Wine

Arctic Char, Beurre Rouge (red butter)

Richly flavored fish, deep in color loves to be paired with a red butter sauce, if you use sea bass, you can still get this lovely crispy skin, but I’d swap the red wine for white wine as it’s a better paring. Think: dark colored fish = red butter, light colored fish = white butter (beurre blanc)

2 servings

ingredients

1 pound of char / salmon, skin on, cut in half, skin scored a few times to prevent buckling under the hard sear.

2 tbsp grape seed oil (or any neutral high smoke point oil)

1 shallot, fine mince

1/2c red wine + 1/4c later

1tsp of Calabrian chili paste

1/4c cream or sour cream (option, but it does help with the stability, water is an OK replacement but use 1 tablespoon)

4tbsp butter, cold, precut into 1/2tbsp pieces for easy addition to pan

salt

parsley for garnish

steps

Heat your pan for 2 minutes over high heat. Pat the skin of the fish dry, salt and pepper it, add 2 tbsp of oil to the pan and place the fish skin-side down, don’t touch it - let it go for at least 5 minutes. Time is what will release the skin from sticking, please let that time pass without touching it. After 5 minutes give the pan a little shake, if the fish moves you can flip it, if not keep going - and remember, heat is your friend, low temp = sticking. Also, if you start cooking with the intention of getting 75% of the way toward the desired doneness, then it will be a lot easier to not touch this fish. Set that intention.

Depending on the thickness of your fish, cooking times will vary, a thermometeris the best way to deal with this, I like 125º in the center. Once flipped, keep going until you’ve reached desired doneness.

In the small saute/saucier, add the shallots, and the wine, with no oil. Turn the heat to high and cook until the wine has evaporated away and left behind color and a slight syrupy liquid.

Once it looks like this photo, you may add the cream (if using, or some water) the Calabrian chili paste, the next 1/4c of wine and your first tablespoon of butter. Lower the heat and whisk constantly. Add more butter as the previous piece disintegrates. After you’ve added all the butter, taste for salt. If the sauce tastes a little flat after salt you may add a touch of red wine vinegar or a squeeze of lemon. Keep in mind that the fish is seasoned and the main event - the sauce should be a compliment, don’t let it steal the show with too much flavor.

notes:

Whisking should be pretty constant, water in small quantities can stretch the sauce out if it’s too tight, butter gives more flavor as do salt and acid. Although these quantities are good for me, you may need to adjust for you - every stove and ingredient we’re using is different.

Pour the red butter sauce through a fine sieve to remove the shallots and create a smooth luxurious sauce, perfect for your fish.

BONUS:

Swirl Pickled Jalapeños and their liquid with butter and some bouillon for a spicy butter sauce!