Compound butter

Compound butters (French: beurre composé, pl. beurres composés) are mixtures of butter and other ingredients used as a flavoring, in a fashion similar to a sauce.

Compound butters can be made or bought. A compound butter can be made by whipping additional elements, such as herbs, spices or aromatic liquids, into butter. It is usually re-formed and chilled before being melted on top of meats and vegetables, used as a spread, or used to finish sauces.

Beurres composés include:

• Beurre à la bourguignonne – garlic and parsley butter
• Beurre maitre d'hotel, butter with parsley and lemon juice
• Café de Paris butter
• Garlic butter
• Beurre au citron – lemon butter