No, it’s not the prettiest condiment, but it will completely change your corn-eating game. Compound butter has to go down as one of the simplest yet most effective tools the home cook has to separate themselves from all the mediocre, would-be chefs.
Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 garlic cloves (adjust to your liking)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
• 1/2 lime (zest and juice)
• parm to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
Now, before I get a bunch of Negative Nancys (sorry if your name is Nancy) hounding me in the comments that “Parmesan isn’t a Latin Ingredient!” – please check the title. “Latin-Inspired” has a little more wiggle room in it 🙂 Also, if I had some cilantro on hand, I probably would have thrown that in as well!
TIP #1: If using an allium, cook it out first.
Sure, you could just add raw garlic or onion to butter and call it a day – but then you would get a very aggressive and sharp flavour that might take over anything you apply it to. (I mean if that’s your thing, then do it) But if, however, you’d like a more subtle flavour profile while still maintaining the ability to communicate within speaking distance of your loved ones, cook it them out a bit. Coat your pan with just a smidgen (is that a real unit of measurement?) of oil and cook them out over a low-medium heat. With the less aggressive members of the allium family (spring onions, chives) this may not be a necessary step – but hey, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
TIP #2: Push yourself creatively and try to think outside of the box.
This is just the beginning! Think of butter that might go with a scone – add some lemon and sugar. Think of butter that you might put into your mashed potatoes – cheddar cheese, garlic, rosemary. The world of compound butter is big and the combinations are endless! Just let your imagination run wild!
Let me know down below what combinations you’ve tried or what works for you!
thecultureofcookery.com 