Black Garlic Butter: The Compound Butter That Makes Everything Better

Compound butter is one of those techniques that looks impressive and takes about 8 minutes. The black garlic version is particularly good because the sweetness and umami of fermented garlic carry through butter in a way that raw garlic, which can taste bitter when not fully cooked, doesn't always manage.

Basic Black Garlic Compound Butter

Ingredients

• 115g (1/2 cup / 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 4-6 cloves black garlic (or 1.5 tbsp black garlic paste)
• 1/4 tsp flaky sea salt (or to taste)
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley or chives, finely chopped
• 1 tsp lemon juice (optional but recommended)

Instructions

1. Let butter soften at room temperature for 30-45 minutes. It should be soft enough to blend easily without melting.
2. Mash the black garlic cloves to a smooth paste with a fork.
3. Combine softened butter, black garlic paste, salt, herbs, and lemon juice in a bowl.
4. Mix vigorously with a fork or spatula until fully incorporated and uniform in color - the butter will turn a light tan-grey.
5. Taste and adjust seasoning.
6. Lay a sheet of cling film or parchment on a work surface. Spoon the butter along the center edge of the film.
7. Roll into a tight log shape, twisting the ends to seal. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Flavor Variations

Black Garlic and Miso Butter

Add 1 tbsp white miso paste to the base recipe. Rich, deeply savory, and excellent on salmon. Try it on top of baked salmon with asparagus - a coin of this butter placed on the fish 5 minutes before it comes out of the foil is transformative.

Black Garlic and Thyme Butter

Substitute fresh thyme for parsley. More aromatic and slightly more peppery - particularly good on roasted chicken and lamb.

Black Garlic and Blue Cheese Butter

Add 30g crumbled blue cheese to the base recipe. Bold flavor for steak application only - this one is not subtle.

Black Garlic Herb Butter (All-Purpose)

Use a mix of parsley, chives, and tarragon with 1 tsp Dijon mustard. Versatile enough to use on everything.

What to Use It On

Steak

Place a 1-2cm slice of cold black garlic butter directly on a hot steak immediately after removing from the pan. The butter melts slowly and bastes the meat as it rests. Alongside a good black garlic steak sauce, this is the full treatment.

Roasted vegetables

Toss roasted vegetables in a knob of black garlic butter straight from the oven while they're still hot. Works particularly well with zucchini or cauliflower.

Pasta

Toss hot pasta with a generous slice of black garlic butter, a splash of pasta water, and a handful of grated Parmesan. Dinner in 15 minutes.

Grilled corn

Spread on hot corn on the cob. The sweetness of both ingredients works perfectly together.

Bread

Spread on sourdough or baguette. Use directly from the fridge - it slices cleanly and melts on warm bread.

Nutrition per tbsp serving (estimate)

• Calories: ~105 kcal
• Fat: ~11g
• Carbohydrates: ~1g
• Protein: ~0.5g

Storage

• Refrigerated: 2-3 weeks in the log, wrapped tight
• Frozen: Up to 3 months - slice while frozen and return the rest

Meal Prep Notes

Make a double batch and freeze one log. Having black garlic butter in the freezer means any piece of protein or vegetable is 5 minutes away from tasting significantly better. It pairs well with almost anything - for a full picture of black garlic applications, see the complete black garlic guide.