Serve savoury compound butters to season sauces and soups, as spread on canapés and sandwiches or as topping and flavouring for grilled steaks, fish dishes, cooked rice, couscous, pasta etc.

See also recipes for sweet compound butters.

General advice for preparing compound butters:

• The butter must first be brought to room temperature and softened by beating it.
• The flavouring ingredients must be very finely chopped or pureed. The possible extra liquid they contain should be drained off thoroughly before mixing them in the butter.
• For the flavour to better penetrate the butter, allow it to stand at cool room temperature for a few hours before chilling.
• Compound butters may be formed into a log-shape and stored in freezer, tightly wrapped. Use a sharp knife dipped in hot water for cutting the frozen butter.

ANCHOVY BUTTER

100 g unsalted butter
40 ml chopped anchovy fillets or anchovy paste

Soften the butter, mix with the anchovies and rub through a fine sieve. A quicker and easier method is to puree the anchovies first using a hand/immersion blender. Beat the mixture until fluffy. Form the butter into a log, wrap in foil, plastic or parchment paper and place in refrigerator to harden for about 1 hour.

Recipe source: "Maslo anchousnoe", Lifshits, M. O. et al. (1955) Kulinariia. Moscow: Gostorgizdat.

CAYENNE PEPPER BUTTER

100 g butter
1 g cayenne pepper

Soften the butter, mix with cayenne pepper and beat until fluffy. Form the butter into a log, wrap in foil, plastic or parchment paper and place in refrigerator to harden for about 1 hour.

Recipe source: "Maslo s krasnym pertsem", Lifshits, M. O. et al. (1955) Kulinariia. Moscow: Gostorgizdat.

GARLIC BUTTER

100 g butter
30 g garlic cloves

Peel the garlic cloves. Parboil them by dipping them into boiling water for a minute or two. Drain the cloves thoroughly and crush in a mortar until very fine. A quicker and easier method is to use a garlic press or a hand/immersion blender to puree them. Add the softened butter and beat until fluffy. Form the butter into a log, wrap in foil, plastic or parchment paper and place in refrigerator to harden for about 1 hour.

Recipe source: "Chesnochnoe maslo", Lifshits, M. O. et al. (1955) Kulinariia. Moscow: Gostorgizdat.

LEMON BUTTER

100 g butter
1 tbsp lemon juice

Soften the butter and beat until fluffy. Beat in the lemon juice a little at a time. Serve with roasted chestnuts or form the butter into a log, wrap in foil, plastic or parchment paper and store in refrigerator or freezer.

Recipe source: adapted from "Lemon butter", rec.food.recipes posting, 1993.

PISTACHIO BUTTER

100 g butter
65 g shelled, unsalted pistachios
1 - 2 tsp water

Grind the nuts in a mortar with the water until a fine paste forms. A quicker and easier method is to use a hand/immersion blender to puree the nuts. Add the softened butter and mix thoroughly. Rub the mixture through a sieve and beat until fluffy. Form the butter into a log, wrap in foil, plastic or parchment paper and place in refrigerator to harden for about 1 hour.

Recipe source: "Maslo fistashkovoe", Lifshits, M. O. et al. (1955) Kulinariia. Moscow: Gostorgizdat.

TRUFFLE BUTTER

100 g butter
50 g fresh or canned truffles

Thoroughly drain the canned truffles. Chop the truffles finely and rub together with the softened butter in a mortar. Season with salt and pepper. Form the butter into a log, wrap in foil, plastic or parchment paper and place in refrigerator to harden for about 1 hour.

Recipe source: "Maslo s triufeliami", Lifshits, M. O. et al. (1955) Kulinariia. Moscow: Gostorgizdat.