Compound Butter Trio (radish, strawberry-rhubarb, and ramp)
Something that attracts most of us to restaurants is the free bread and butter that they provide before the meal. For my dinner party guests, that is exactly the kind of vibe I wanted to provide. The minute they walked in the door, a trio of butters lay before them with warm fresh baguettes waiting to be buttered. I wanted to create a diversity of flavors that highlighted the flavors of spring and would keep them interested (and busy while I prepared the salad course). Radish butter (a classic spin on the French radish/butter combo), Strawberry-rhubarb butter (a sweet, salty, and tart butter), and Ramp butter (very seasonal wild garlic that provides an explosion of flavor).
Compound butters are great because they let you explore any flavors you are feeling—but I highly recommend making these 3 flavors specifically. They are a little bit of a labor of love, but I promise that you and your guests will appreciate the time and effort once you all dig in.
Ingredients:
Radish Butter
1 bunch of radishes, grated, and squeezed of excess moisture
1 stick of high quality salted butter
big pinch of salt
Ramp Butter
I followed Justine Doiron’s method for ramp butter and oil. Here is the link: https://justinesnacks.com/how-to-make-ramp-butter-ramp-oil/
Strawberry-Rhubarb Butter
1 stick of high quality salted butter
1/2 cup strawberry-rhubarb jam (I used Stonewall Kitchen’s!)
Method:
Simply whip the butter in a stand mixer until it is whipped and spreadable. Mix each stick of whipped butter with the ingredients listed above. Refrigerate until ready to use, and then leave at room temp for 30 minutes to an hour before serving so that it is easy to spread. Enjoy!
