Fifty years ago it was commonplace to serve a slice of melting butter on a grilled piece of meat - the favourite was Maître d’Hôtel with just parsley, lemon and seasoning. This classic compound butter recipe is “Beurre Marchand du Vin”. It is a fabulous enhancement for steak, lamb or pork and can be frozen in slices ready to use at a moment's notice.
Ingredients to make 2 logs of compound butter
2 Shallots, very finely diced
200ml Red Wine
1 Dessert Spoon Dijon Mustard
250gm Unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 Lemon, zest and juice
1 Tablespoon Chopped Parsley
Freshly Ground Black Pepper and Salt
Method
Put the shallots, red wine and mustard into a small pan over a medium heat, bring to the boil and reduce the liquid by two thirds.
Place the butter in a bowl, beat it to a smooth paste then slowly mix in the hot wine mixture.
Next blend in the lemon and parsley. Season well with salt and plenty of black pepper.
Transfer the butter onto a sheet of greaseproof paper or clingfilm, roll into a log and twist the ends. The butter can be hardened in the fridge then sliced and frozen.
Serve Wine Merchants butter in 1cm pieces, allow it to melt on hot freshly cooked meat.
