Lucy Vaserfirer’s Flavored Butters is a collection of ways to trick out your butter so that it serves every possible culinary need. Because why use anything else when butter’s around? Next up, an earthy, fiery-hot spread for cornbread or topping a steak. You can even fry an egg in it for a spicy effect.
Ingredients
- 1 ancho chile, stemmed
- 1 pasilla chile, stemmed
- 1 guajillo chile, stemmed
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 garlic clove, grated on a microplane
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
Directions
- Heat a medium-size, heavy sauté pan or griddle over medium heat until very hot.
- Add the chiles and toast, pressing down on them firmly with a spatula, for 10 to 15 seconds, or until golden brown.
- Turn the chiles and continue to toast, pressing down on them firmly with the spatula, another 10 to 15 seconds, or until fragrant, golden brown and pliable. Remove the toasted chiles to a bowl, add enough boiling water to cover and let soak for 10 to 12 minutes, or until rehydrated.
- Transfer the chiles and 2 tablespoons of the soaking liquid to a blender and blend until smooth. Force the chiles through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the skins and seeds.
- Blend together the chile purée, butter, garlic, salt and cumin in a medium-size bowl. Form into a log and refrigerate until firm before slicing and serving.
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