garlic butter

Loved and hated in equal measure, garlic is the perfect companion to add to butter for a flavorful, jaw-dropping dressing. Preparing a delicious garlic butter is as simple as it is grateful in its result. You will see that it is done with almost no mess and in no time at all you will have turned good butter into a special ingredient, which will elevate the category of your dishes and give you much joy. To you and your guests!

You can make garlic butter simply, or flavor it with a touch of herbs. The process is exactly the same, you will see how to add them if you want to make garlic and parsley butter or garlic and rosemary butter . The result is most delicious, and will turn your fish and meat, as well as a simple piece of bread, into food for the Gods.

What is garlic butter

Garlic butter is butter to which crushed or minced garlic is added for flavoring and flavoring. Normally, it also has finely chopped parsley. The traditional recipe is made with raw garlic and fresh parsley (although it can also be used dry), but I personally love making it with roasted garlic.

The flavor is completely different, smooth and with that smoky and somewhat sweet, almost caramelized touch that roasted garlic has. In addition, they acquire a creamy texture, so they are much easier to incorporate and integrate into the butter.

How to use garlic butter

Once you have made it, you can store it in an airtight container and it will keep wonderfully in the fridge (and in the freezer!); so you will have it ready for use whenever you want. For this, the glass jars by Luigi Bormioli are ideal.

And if preparing garlic butter is the simplest, using it is even more so. You will be able to taste it as is and also use it to round off some of your dishes. Here are some options, but I'm sure many more will come to mind as soon as you start using it:

• It's delicious spread on a slice of bread for breakfast, just like you would your regular butter.
• To accompany the toasts or biscuits in your snacking dinners it is a fantastic option. Without adding anything else or as a base on which to place, for example, a little smoked cod.
• I'm sure you've tried garlic bread. Well, with your garlic butter you will only have to spread a few slices of bread from the day before and bake them while you turn on the oven. In this simple way you will make at home a garlic bread as delicious as the one in the best pizzeria.
• To cook with her. Garlic butter is an ingredient that will give you a lot to flavor meat, fish and vegetables:
• Use it instead of oil to sear some beef tenderloins on your grill or iron skillet.
• Also in your non-stick pan with some hake fillets. Just when you see that the butter has melted and is beginning to bubble, place the fish to soak in and allow it to cook to the point.
• It is ideal for sautéing some mushrooms, or some onion rings.
• And also for roasting vegetables: both with carrots or corn on the cob, for example, or with potatoes. If you want to prepare the latter in the hasselback style, spread them on the outside with the garlic butter, place a little of the same butter on each potato and bake.
• To prepare some grilled prawns or prawns, replace the oil with the garlic butter and you will see what a richer point it gives them.
• To add it to your creams and vegetable purees. Just before mashing, add a cube of garlic butter to mashed potatoes or any vegetable soup to enhance its flavor.
• Or, in a very simple way, to accompany freshly cooked pasta. Once you plate the pasta, without letting it cool, place a few pieces of garlic butter on top, stir to melt, and eat!

How to make garlic butter

You have already seen that with garlic butter everything is an advantage. Whether you prepare it with raw garlic or with roasted garlic, it is easy to prepare, practical to preserve and has great versatility. And since I'm sure you're looking forward to making it, let's go with the garlic butter recipe with roasted garlic.

Ingredients

• 250 g butter at room temperature
• 1 head of roasted garlic* (less if using raw garlic, see note)
• a pinch of salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• Chopped rosemary or parsley (optional)

*NOTE: We prefer to use roasted garlic because it further enhances the flavor of the resulting butter (making it less harsh and giving it a very unique zing), but you can use natural, raw garlic. If you want to make the traditional recipe with raw garlic, reduce the amount of garlic slightly. Calculate about 3 garlic cloves for every 100 grams of butter. If you notice that they are not excessively spicy, add some more. In case of using raw garlic, skip directly to point 2 of the preparation.

Preparation

1. First of all, we have to roast the garlic; Here you can see how to do it. If you have previously roasted them, take them out of the pot and let all the oil drain at room temperature.
2. Crush or crush the garlic cloves until they become a paste.
3. Arrange the butter at room temperature in a bowl, add a pinch of salt and some freshly ground black pepper and beat well with a wooden spoon to mix so that the butter has a creamy texture. You can also do it with a mixer or with the KitchenAid robot using the paddle.
4. Add the paste that you have made with the roasted garlic cloves and mix well until everything is integrated.
5. If you add the chopped parsley, add it at the end and stir to mix and integrate.
6. Put the butter in a boat for preservation. Use a silicone spatula to help you and not lose an iota of this rich preparation.

Grades

• You can use purchased butter or you can make your own at home. It is very simple! If you dare, here you will see how to make it and also how to aromatize it.
• Garlic butter allows for endless variations just by changing seasonings. Substitute parsley for Provencal herbs, oregano, thyme, sweet or hot paprika, various peppers or curry. One of the most delicious I've tried is the rosemary and basil one. You have the recipe here .
• In any garlic butter recipe we can vary the amount of garlic to our liking, but it is important to bear in mind that the high fat content of the butter conditions the final flavor . Part of the aromatic molecules of garlic, the most volatile, are retained by the fat and are not tasted. You could say that we lose them. So, if we adjust the garlic that we are going to add a lot downwards, the butter will be slightly flavored, but without adding that extra touch that we want to give our dishes with it.
• It is precisely the high fat content of butter that allows us to keep it for several days. Ideally, you should prepare the one that you can use for a week. If you want to make more, you have the option of freezing it; This way it will last much longer (around 2 months) or vacuum pack it and keep it in the fridge or freezer.
• With all these options you can prepare a varied table of salty butters with which to accompany cheeses, sausages and smoked meats. You will surprise your guests!