Fennel Frond Compound Butter
A simple fennel frond compound butter recipe that preserves a frond surplus for weeks, ready to melt over fish, vegetables, or chicken.
Following the same format as our tarragon and rosemary compound butters, this version uses fennel fronds to build a flavored butter that's a good way to preserve a batch for later use, well beyond the few days fresh fronds keep in the fridge.
Fennel Frond Compound Butter
Prep time: 10 minutes, plus chilling | Makes: about 1 cup
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup finely chopped fennel fronds
- 1 small garlic clove, very finely minced
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mash the softened butter with a fork until smooth.
- Add the chopped fennel fronds, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly until evenly distributed.
- Spoon the butter onto a sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap and roll into a log, twisting the ends to seal.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up before slicing, or freeze the whole log for longer storage.
Notes
This butter keeps in the fridge for about 2 weeks and in the freezer for up to 3 months, following the same storage principles as any other compound butter.
How to Use It
- On fish: Melt a slice over pan-seared or grilled fish for an instant sauce with a natural flavor match.
- On vegetables: Toss hot roasted or steamed vegetables with a slice right before serving.
- On chicken: Use in place of a standard herb butter, pushed under the skin before roasting a whole chicken, similar to the technique used in our other herb-butter roast chicken recipes.
- On bread: Spread on warm crusty bread as a simple appetizer.
Why This Is a Good Way to Preserve a Frond Surplus
Because fronds wilt quickly compared to sturdier herbs, turning a surplus into compound butter locks in their flavor for weeks or months rather than the few days you'd get from fridge storage alone - the same logic behind freezing more delicate herbs in butter or oil rather than trying to keep them fresh indefinitely.
Variations
- Add other herbs: A tablespoon of chopped dill or parsley alongside the fronds rounds out the flavor.
- Citrus-forward version: Increase the lemon zest and add a small squeeze of juice for a brighter butter, especially good with fish.
This is one of the best ways to stretch a fennel frond harvest across multiple meals. For more, see the complete fennel fronds guide.
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