By Perry Mascitti / Executive Chef, Tulalip Resort Casino
Did you know April 19 is National Garlic Day? In my opinion, that wonderful kitchen staple, affectionately referred to as the “Stinking Rose,” should be celebrated year-round.
One restaurant in San Francisco has taken up the crusade honoring “The Stinking Rose” by appropriating the moniker as its name. Their motto is “we season our garlic with food,” and as you can imagine, garlic is the star of the show!
While this renowned bulb blesses millions of recipes throughout the world, it also serves up a nice bonus: it keeps us all healthier. The allicin compound in garlic is said to “exhibit strong antioxidant activity” and may help prevent certain cancers, and also may help lower blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure.
Compound butter is a terrific way to bring garlic to your table throughout the year. Compound butter is a fancy culinary term for softened butter that is whipped with other ingredients. In a professional kitchen, various compound butters often are prepared in advance and utilized for quicker meal preparation.
You can do the same at home. Compound butter is a great topping for almost anything, including baked potatoes, steaks, seafood, bread, vegetables and so much more. It also can be made in large quantities, portioned out in small “coins” for use at any time. (see “how to” below)
Here are three great compound butter recipes that are easy to prepare and sure to add zest to many dishes in your kitchen.
Basic roasted garlic compound butter
Foil, 12 inches square
1 cup garlic cloves, skin off, roasted brown and soft, then pureed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound salted butter, softened
¼ cup parsley, chopped fine
1 tablespoon black pepper, medium grind
Oven-roast the garlic cloves with olive oil in a closed foil pouch for about 15 minutes at 375 degrees. Whip the softened butter with all the rest of ingredients. Place it in a sealable plastic bag, cut a small opening in one of the corners and pipe out quarter-size “coins” onto a cookie sheet. Let them chill; you can keep them refrigerated for weeks. You may also freeze them on the cookie sheet; once they’re solid, transfer them to a freezer bag and store them for up to a year.
You can use this same method of preparation with these other garlic-inspired variations, as well.
Roasted garlic, basil and sun-dried tomato compound butter
1 cup garlic cloves, skin off, roasted brown and soft, then pureed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound salted butter, softened
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in water for 10 minutes (if bought dry), chopped
½ cup fresh basil (no dry basil), stems off and leaves chopped fine
Spicy roasted garlic, cilantro, Parmesan and roasted jalapeno compound butter
1 cup garlic cloves, skin off, roasted brown and soft, then pureed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound salted butter, softened
2 each jalapenos, roasted until completely soft and pureed
½ cup cilantro, stemmed and fine chopped
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated fine
Perry Mascitti is the executive chef at Tulalip Resort Casino. Mascitti manages nearly 260 kitchen staff, including chefs, sous chefs and cooks. He’s been at Tulalip since 2007 and has more than 30 years of culinary experience.
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