Week 21 -- Compound Butters

  • Butter is an emulsion: generally 80-85% fat and 10-15% water and 5% milk solids
  • Can butter be substituted for shortening? No, because shortening is all fat, no water or milk solids
  • Butter melts at 95F, that's why it melts in your 98.6F mouth
  • Clarified Butter has the water and milk solids removed--makes the smoke point higher, lobster dipping with "drawn" butter, nice clear yellow color
    • Done by softly, slowly melting butter to keep from browning the milk solids
    • Solids rise to the surface and bottom
    • Strain with cheese cloth, into narrow and tall container to keep the residual solids that pass through the strainer in as small a surface area as possible
    • Set the container with strained butter aside for more of the solids to rise to surface and sink to bottom
    • After settling, skim any solids from the top, then carefully pour the clarified butter into another container or into ice cube trays to freeze for later use
    • Smoke point of butter is 300F. Smoke point of clarified butter is 400F.
  • Shrimp or Lobster Butter
    • To add great seafood taste to clarified butter
    • First, make clarified butter
    • Lightly simmer shrimp or lobster shells in clarified butter on stove top, stirring occasionally for 2-4 hours, or place in oven at lowest setting for same time period
    • Flavors from the shells will permeate the butter
    • Use the butter for seafood, vegetables, potatoes, pasta, grains, rice, hollandaise sauce, beurre blanc/rouge, wherever seafood flavor is desired

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  • Ghee is clarified butter that is cooked longer to brown the milk solids that gather on the bottom
    • Ghee has its roots in Indian cooking
    • The browned milk solids give Ghee its golden color and nutty, toasty flavor
    • Heat butter in pot at lowest simmer possible, let cook at least 4 hours, stirring occasionally--we want the milk solids on the pan bottom to brown but not burn
    • Sieve the liquid into a sterilized jar (canning jars with new lids) and let it cool and solidify
    • An opened jar of Ghee will remain good for 2-3 months on counter top, 1 year in refrigerator, indefinitely in freezer
  • Compound Butter
    • Cut stick of butter into slices to increase surface area and put into mixer
    • Ex., add finely chopped oregano leaves and garlic (other herbs/spices can be used)
    • Whip or cream the butter and herbs/spices together in mixer to get even consistency
    • Can be used right away, or formed in some way (eg., piped out into little florets, or small pats or cubes) and refrigerated/frozen for later use
    • Large amounts of compound butter can be rolled up in a log in parchment paper to be frozen and later sliced and used

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  • Herb Butter
    • Some herbs are fat soluble, others are water soluble. Put oregano or rosemary in water, and they will not make "tea", they are fat soluble
    • Put oregano, leaves and stems in ovenable pan with 1/4 lb or more of butter or clarified butter (basil, parsley, dill, or any herb/spice)
      • Cover the pan, we don't want evaporation of liquid, we want the extraction of flavor
      • Put in oven on lowest setting for 2-4 hours for maximum flavor extraction into the butter
    • The herb butter is then strained through cheese cloth, and you now have an herb oil
    • Herb Oil can also be made using olive oil
    • Use it on bread, pasta, for cooking/saute
  • Shrimp Scampi with Tuscan Herb Compound Butter Sauce
    • Saute, direct, conductive heat method, could be scallops, lobster, chicken
    • Herb butter is great for this, or compound butter, in this case with Tuscan herbs
    • Melt 2 tbs Tuscan herb compound butter (or regular unsalted butter) in hot saute pan, not so hot that the butter burns along with a couple tbs oil
    • If using the Tuscan herb butter, be careful with later butter additions, herbs and seasonings
    • Saute the shrimp shells for a few minutes, add 1 cup white wine, simmer 5 minutes, strain shells out and retain the shrimp/wine broth)
    • Saute 1 julienned shallot or 1/2 onion, some chopped tomatoes, julienned green or red bell peppers, and 4 thinly sliced garlic cloves
    • Add the shrimp broth, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1/4 tsp black pepper, reduce a bit
    • Adjust seasoning and poach 1 lb shrimp until just opaque, cook 75% at this point (cover the skillet), shrimp will continue cooking with next step
    • Add 1 tbs lemon juice, or juice of 1/2 lemon, or more or less to taste, mixed with 1 tsp corn starch, add 4 tbs butter, mix well and allow to thicken to desired consistency, at the end add chopped parsley, basil chiffonade, green onions, or chives
    • Top with grated parmesan cheese
    • Optionally, serve with angel hair or pasta of choice, and/or toasted baguette/crusty bread

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  • Tuscan Herb Compound Butter
    • Ingredients
      • 1 stick softened butter
      • 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
      • 2 tbs sundried tomatoes, finely diced
      • 1 tsp dried basil
      • 1 tsp dried oregano
      • 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
      • 1/2 tsp onion powder
      • 1/2 tsp salt
      • 1/4 tsp black pepper
    • Procedure
      • Put softened butter in mixer bowl
      • Add other ingredients, and mix with paddle on low speed
      • Place mixed butter in center of piece of plastic wrap and form a 1.5 inch diameter log
      • Put in refrigerator until ready to use

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