I have a love-hate relationship with Summer. I hate the heat (it no longer agrees with me after 28 years in Hawai’i), but I adore the available produce. So when it gets too hot, I stay in and create.
I made this amazing compound butter two years ago and fell in love with it. It is the perfect summer recipe, for the simple reason that the herbs are readily available, and best of all, it can be frozen and enjoyed in the dead of Winter.
I’ve used Herbes de Provence seasoning in its dried form for many years, usually in stews or roasting meat or poultry. The clincher here is its freshness! This butter is phenomenal on a piece of bread or potatoes, or it can still be used to roast chicken or put on a piece of fish. The fresh flavor comes through, and it’s amazing.
All my backyard herbs are blooming now, so there is no time like the present to clip some for this beautiful butter. It’s also a warm day, so the butter is softening quickly on the counter, perfect for blending the herbs into it.
The recipe advises using a tablespoon of each herb; however, don’t let exactness make you crazy. Approximations work well here. And by all means, if you don’t have edible flowers available to garnish it with, don’t let it stop you from trying it. It can be decorated with additional tender herbs such as basil and/or fennel.
Herbes de Provence in America contains culinary lavender. I understand that it’s not included in France, so if you want to make like a real French person, you can leave it out. As for myself, I’m a sucker for just about anything with lavender in it, so I use it and love it!
Fresh Herbes de Provence Butter
Adapted from underatinroof.com
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
- 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 Tbsp oregano, chopped
- 1 Tbsp thyme leaves, chopped
- 1 Tbsp marjoram, chopped
- 1 Tbsp summer savory, chopped
- 1 Tbsp fennel leaf, chopped
- 1 Tbsp English lavender buds, chopped (optional)
- A handful of fresh edible flowers and/or tender herbs for garnish
Gently wash all the herbs and allow them to dry on paper towels. Chop the herbs either by hand or using a food chopper. Add the butter to a medium-sized bowl and use a spatula to work it. Add the chopped herbs and blend until well incorporated and evenly distributed.
Lay out a piece of plastic wrap or waxed paper approximately 12 inches long, and lay the butter in the middle of it. Using the film or paper, shape the butter into a log, smoothing it to make it as even as possible. It will be pretty ’wobbly’ since the butter is so soft.
Refrigerate the log for approximately 1 hour. Once chilled enough to work with, remove it from the fridge and take off the plastic wrap or waxed paper.
At this point, you can decorate it, as well as smooth out the wrinkles from the wrapping. Rewrap and chill again, then it’s ready to serve.
I couldn’t resist serving this with flower pot bread (that’s another story for another day), but it pairs well with any bread you desire.
