Give Store-Bought Butter Better Flavor With A Restaurant-Worthy Tip

Restaurant butter always seems to taste better than the store-bought version we use at home, but it's probably less about the butter itself and more about what the restaurant does to improve it. To get that perfectly seasoned, bold-flavored butter, add the right herbs and aromatics to make a compound butter — a combination of softened butter and other flavors. 

There are countless ways to do compound butter — even vodka butter is an unexpected mashup that's made its way into the kitchen. You can spice it up, make it herby and extra-savory, or even sweeten it. For how much depth and complexity it adds to food, it's surprisingly simple to make. Just incorporate your choice of add-ons into room temperature butter, then rolled it into a log and slice to serve. 

However, different types of ingredients require a few rules of thumb to get the balance right. For example, if you plan to use dry herbs instead of fresh, stick to a 3:1 ratio — that is, use 1 teaspoon of dry herbs for every 3 teaspoons (or 1 tablespoon) you'd use of fresh. Dry herbs tend to have sharper flavor than fresh ones. Liquid additions, such as lemon juice, could change the overall texture and consistency of the butter, so add them in moderation; start small (such as a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice per stick of butter), then increase the liquid as desired. Even when following exact ratios, always taste the butter to gauge its profile. This is especially true for salt. If you don't have unsalted butter, the standard for compound butter,  taste test frequently if you plan to add more.

Not all herbs and aromatics work well together, but if you're cooking for a crowd, then it's hard to go wrong with a classic beurre maître d'hôtel, sometimes referred to as hotel butter. It's a combination of nothing more than fresh parsley and lemon juice, plus salt and pepper. This is a common compound butter that pairs well with steak as well as seafood, and it's easy enough on the palate that most people will enjoy it. For more robust flavor, add some finely chopped rosemary or sage leaves, which both pair well with steak. If you're serving a compound butter with fish, then fresh dill is a great option.

For something spicy, infuse the butter with crushed Calabrian chilies (you can substitute crushed red pepper flakes, too). Add to this some lemon juice and a little honey for a sweet and spicy combination, and fold everything into softened butter. A few other bold options include diced jalapeños for a grassy, veggie-forward spice, or habaneros if you want to seriously turn up the heat. 

For seasoned butter that leans toward the sweet side, make your own cinnamon sugar butter. Just combine a ratio of four parts sugar to one part cinnamon, fold it into the butter, and you're ready to go. You can also add a drizzle of maple syrup or honey for some extra sweetness. The possibilities are endless.