Chive Butter

This week I decided to share a couple of recipes for condiments that I included with my lamb chop menu that I posted for Easter.

This is a simple preparation that dresses up butter for a special dinner or party, and also adds a nice flavor.

Chive Butter
Makes 8 tablespoons
8 Tablespoons or one stick unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons sliced chives
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Soften the butter by letting it sit at room temperature for an hour or so depending on the temperature of your home. If you put it in the microwave to soften, be careful to not let it melt.  Often I use the defrost setting for 10 second intervals until the butter is maluable.

Chives should be sliced very thin so they will evenly distribute through the butter.

Mix together butter, chives, and salt, and form the mixtur into a roll. Wrap it in plastic wrap or waxed paper and put in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes. (The butter can be stored in the refrigerator for a week or frozen for a couple months.)

Tina’s Tip: You can substitute almost any herb for the chives to make an herb butter, depending on what you are serving for your main course. I like to serve thyme-and-chili powder butter with roast chicken, for example, or rosemary-garlic butter with grilled steak.

Herb butter can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week.