This easy 4-ingredient Garlic Herb and Anchovy Compound Butter is an explosion of flavor. It’s a delicious, salty, and savory condiment to slice or spread onto steak, chicken, fish, and more!
Jump to Recipe
Learn how to make your own compound butter at home! A balanced mix between salty and savory, this Garlic Herb and Anchovy Compound Butter is the perfect topping for steak, salmon, toast, and more. Trust me – anchovy butter is a total revolution!
This recipe was inspired by a butter my friend Alla used to make for dinner parties and it’s one that’s not forgettable. The flavors are so delicious, it’s a must-try. Thanks, Alla for sharing it with me.
Can you even believe how easy it is to make compound butter? All you need is some softened unsalted butter and a variety of mix-ins. I’ve made Sweet and Savory Compound Butter before with fresh herbs and mixed berries, but I opted for a more salty and herby approach with this garlic and anchovy butter recipe.
It’s has a delightful blend of bold, savory, earthy, and herby flavors with a touch of umami mixed in. Use it to add layers of flavor to your dinners, lunches, appetizers, and anything else you can imagine. You really can’t go wrong!
What is compound butter?
Compound butter is a fancy way of saying “mixed butter”. Regular unsalted butter can be mixed with both sweet and savory add-ins, like herbs, garlic, citrus, or berries. Making homemade compound butter is a great way to use up leftover herbs or when you need a readily available and flavorful finishing touch for your meals or toast.
Whipped anchovy butter ingredients
- Unsalted butter – I like using grass-fed butter for the all natural flavors. Feel free to use any unsalted butter you already have at home.
- Anchovies – This small, oil-packed fish has bold flavors. They’re cured in salt before being packaged, which gives them a signature salty taste.
- Garlic – Garlic and butter are a winning combination (take my Garlic Butter Ribeye for example). When you mix fresh garlic cloves into leftover butter, you can have savory garlic butter ready at all times!
- Fresh dill – For fresh, herby flavors.
How to make herbed anchovy compound butter at home
Compound butter is so easy to make at home using a food processor or by hand:
Food processor instructions:
Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and blend until the butter is smooth and everything is well combined.
Mix it by hand:
Place the softened butter in a bowl. Grate the garlic cloves over top before adding the chopped dill and anchovies. Mix everything together with a fork until you have a smooth mixture.
What to do with anchovy butter
Once the butter is ready, you can keep it in a container in the fridge or roll it into a cylinder. Slice it up for the perfect finishing touch on any special dinner, like a ribeye steak, prime rib roast, roasted chicken, or baked salmon.
You can also use compound butter to jazz up everyday vegetables. Stir it into mashed potatoes, cauliflower mash, green beans, or brussels sprouts for exceptional flavors. It’s also just plain delicious spread onto a piece of toast or bread!
Storing compound butter
You can either keep the mixed butter in an airtight container or use plastic wrap or wax paper to roll it into a cylinder (this is great for easy slicing). It stores well in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
To freeze, transfer the butter in the container or cylinder to the freezer for up to 3 months.
Tools for Garlic Herb and Anchovy Compound Butter
Use your compound butter on these dishes and more
If you give this Garlic Herb and Anchovy Compound Butter recipe a try, let me know in the comments below. I love seeing your pictures too, so please tag me on Instagram @lenaskitchenblog and use #lenaskitchenblog so I can share them to my page!
Garlic Herb and Anchovy Compound Butter
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 oz anchovies, packed in oil, drained
- ½ bunch dill
Instructions
Food processor
- Add all ingredients to a food processor.
- Blend until smooth and combined.
No food processor
- In a bowl add softened butter, grate garlic cloves or use a garlic press, finely chop the dill, and anchovies. Mix with a fork until smooth.
Storing
- You can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks. Or transfer to waxed paper or plastic wrap, roll into a cylinder, chill, and slice.
Freezing
- This can keep for a few months in the freezer.
Uses
- Great on bread, steak, roasting a chicken, adding to mashed potatoes.
Leave a Reply