mustard butter

Mustard butter is a smooth, creamy condiment that boasts big mustard flavor with a touch of maple syrup and black pepper.

Compound butters are a great way to elevate your meal. They add a little something extra to grilled meat, a simple soup, homemade pretzels, crudité platters and even sandwiches. 

This mustard butter combines the universal appeal of smooth, creamy butter with the flavorful punch of mustard. It’s the best of both worlds. I add a splash of maple syrup to mellow out the pungency and a good dose of freshly ground black pepper for more dimension. I also use two forms of mustard-- ground mustard powder and whole grain mustard-- to pack in as much mustard as the butter will hold. The pop of mustard seeds might just be the best part. Don’t sub in Dijon!

Finally, this recipe can be scaled very easily. I like to make compound butters in small amounts, but you can absolutely make a larger volume and freeze it. Read on to find a bunch of ideas on how to use this mustard butter!

what goes into this mustard butter?

• Unsalted butter: Use the best butter you have. It’s the main ingredient-- great flavor will be noticed!
• Whole grain mustard: The same as stone ground mustard. I love the pop of mustard seeds in this butter, don’t skip this one!
• Mustard powder: Adds another layer of mustard flavor without overwhelming bitterness
• Maple syrup: The butter is barely sweetened-- I use just enough to mellow out the pungency of mustard and smooth out the flavors. 
• Freshly ground black pepper: Don’t use pre-ground pepper, it has no flavor. Crank out a bunch of black pepper to get all of the bright, fruity notes.
• Kosher salt: start with ¾ tsp then add more to taste until the flavors pop and you start licking the bowl.

how do I store compound butters?

Compound butters can be stored in a glass container (such as a mason jar) or in a log wrapped in parchment paper or plastic wrap. The log shape makes it easy to slice off a round of butter, for topping steaks, soups, mashed vegetables and the like. A container, on the other hand, can be brought out to soften at room temperature so the compound butter can be used as a spread or dip.

You can also divide the compound butter into an ice cube tray or silicone candy mold and freeze it. Pop out the frozen compound butter cubes, store in a large storage bag and freeze for individual servings.

Compound butters keep up to 1 week in the refrigerator and up to 6 months in the freezer. 

how else can I use mustard butter?

• Tossed with vegetables and roasted (winter squash, brussels sprouts, carrots, parsnips, potatoes)
• As a finishing butter on grilled meats (steak, sausage)
• Spread onto crusty bread
• On a cheese and charcuterie platter with breadsticks, crostini and jam
• Slathered under the skin of a chicken and roasted
• Swirled into soup (potato leek)
• Melted into a fluffy rice pilaf 
• On top of mashed potatoes
• Spread onto sandwiches (especially those with salami and other cured meats)
• Tossed with sautéed or steamed vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, fresh peas)
• Paired with raw vegetables on a crudité platter 

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