Butter à la Maître d’Hôtel

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Medium 1-quart (1-liter) mixing bowl
• •Flexible spatula or sturdy wooden spoon
• •Sharp chef’s knife
• •Parchment paper

Instructions

1. 1

   Temper the foundation

   Set the Manied Butter (No. 151) in a medium bowl until it yields easily beneath a spatula but remains cool and opaque, usually twenty to thirty minutes in a temperate kitchen. Do not melt it. If the surface turns shiny or an oily ring appears, chill the bowl for five minutes, then continue once the butter is pliable again. Ça se rattrape.

   Test the butter by pressing a finger into it. It should take a clean impression without collapsing around your finger.
2. 2

   Prepare the parsley

   Wash the parsley only if it needs it, then dry it completely before chopping it very fine. Damp leaves introduce stray water and leave coarse green streaks through the butter; dry parsley disperses cleanly and perfumes every slice.

3. 3

   Cream and season

   Press and smear the softened foundation firmly against the side of the bowl until it becomes smooth, pale, and creamy. Add the parsley, salt, and pepper, then fold and smear until the green flecks are distributed evenly. Scrape the bowl once or twice so no pocket of seasoning escapes.

4. 4

   Work in lemon

   Add the lemon juice a few drops at a time, working each addition fully into the butter before adding more. The original restraint matters: lemon should lift the parsley and butter, not turn the mixture sour. If liquid beads on the surface, stop adding lemon, chill the bowl for five minutes, and work the butter firmly until it comes together again.

5. 5

   Shape and chill

   Spoon the butter onto parchment and roll it into a compact log about 1 1/4 inches (3 cm) thick, twisting the ends closed. Perfectly identical coins belonged to brigade service, so a small covered crock is equally honest at home. Chill for at least thirty minutes, until firm enough to slice cleanly.

6. 6

   Finish the grill

   Slice the chilled butter into eight coins. Set one or two over each steak, chop, fish fillet, or grilled vegetable immediately after it leaves the heat, then let the food rest while the butter loosens and mingles with its juices. It should gleam and pool, becoming the sauce without another pan. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The source asks for only a few drops of lemon, and it means it. Too much juice makes the butter sharp and encourages it to weep; add it drop by drop and stop when the parsley tastes brighter.
• •Use flat-leaf parsley and dry it thoroughly. Curly parsley remains coarse in a preparation this simple, while water clinging to either kind fights the smooth texture you’re building.
• •Put the butter on after the food leaves the grill. Over an open flame it runs into the fire and causes flare-ups; on the resting meat or fish it stays where it belongs and catches every drop of juice.
• •Cut the butter while it is cold, but let the heat of the food melt it. A room-temperature spoonful disappears too quickly and leaves more butter on the plate than on the grill.
• •Taste before adding extra salt if the prepared Manied Butter (No. 151) is already seasoned. The finish should be savory and lemon-bright, never aggressively salty.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare and shape the butter up to five days ahead, then keep it tightly wrapped in the refrigerator so the parsley remains fresh and the butter does not collect other aromas.
• •For longer keeping, freeze the parchment-wrapped log for up to two months. Slice coins directly from the firm log with a warm, dry knife and return the remainder to the freezer promptly.
• •Individual coins may be cut earlier in the day and held chilled between small sheets of parchment, ready to place over the food as it comes off the grill.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 29g)