This butter will have a light anise/licorice/tarragon flavor to it, and is good for poultry, light meats, fish and seafood, and vegetables. It is perfect for adding to a pan of mussels or shrimp at the end, or slipping frozen slices under the skin of a chicken to be roasted. You can use this butter to make a “buerre blanc” – a sauce of shallots, wine or vinegar, and bits of cold vinegar swirled into a pan to form an emulsification. This butter is excellent with the addition on Meyer lemon zest and juice, or not. The lemon gives it a brighter flavor like you’d find along the Mediterranean, and without it the chervil is more pronounced. Some compound butters will have shallots in them. If you wish to do this, mince 1 heaping tablespoon of shallot and either blanch it in boiling water or sauté it until just tender in a pan in a little butter and allow to cool before proceeding with the recipe.
INGREDIENTS:
¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature ¼ cup fresh chervil, little leaf groups snipped from stems with scissors or chopped coarsely with a very sharp knife 1 teaspoon pastis or Meyer lemon juice Zest of 1 Meyer lemon, removed with a Microplane or a zester or peeler, trimming away any white, finely minced – Optional A ½ teaspoon of crunchy salt such as Sel de Camargue, Fleur de Sel, Maldon, Murray River, or Diamond Crystal kosher (salt may eliminated if you wish. It adds crunch and the salty flavor sets of the rest of the flavors of the compound butter.) ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepperMETHOD:
When butter is soft, spread the butter over a sheet of parchment or foil to a half-inch thickness. Drizzle evenly with the pastis or lemon juice, then scatter evenly with the shallots if using, lemon zest, and salt and pepper.
Work these ingredients into the butter with a fork. If the butter is really soft and looks like it will separate, put into the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
After the ingredients are well incorporated, spread the butter out again and cover with the chervil. Incorporate the chervil into the butter without turning it into pulp.
This can also be done in a stand mixer; cream the butter until it is soft and fairly fluffy add all ingredients except chervil and mix on medium-low speed. Scatter the chervil all over the butter and use a rubber scraper to scrape down the sides. Mix on low until the chervil is evenly mixed into the butter.
Scrape the butter together and roughly form a 4-inch log. Transfer this onto a fresh square of parchment or plastic wrap, and place near the bottom of the sheet. Roll up from the bottom, keeping the cylinder tight. Twist ends in opposite directions to compact the butter roll. Place in the refrigerator or freezer until firm you are ready to use it. If you are not going to use it right away, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze until you need it.
To use, slice off what you need and keep cold until the moment you use it. If it is too firm and shatters when you try to cut it, allow to warm a bit at room temp or put it in the refrigerator when you leave for work in the morning or the night before.
Yield: Around ¼ pound of butter (1 “stick”)
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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