The name may sound complex, but compound butters are anything but. New York Times Cooking defines it best: “A mixture of butter and other ingredients makes a compound butter, which can be used as a kind of insta-sauce on top of cooked meat, vegetables or fish.” Make batches in advance and keep on hand (compound butter keeps for up to three months in the freezer) to quickly elevate the simplest of steak dinners, especially if you have guests over on a weeknight. Like Uncle Ducky’s Scotch Bonnet Butter, which we stock at Butcher Block, compound butters are flavour bombs and a home cook’s secret weapon.

Butcher Block note: The method for each compound butter recipe, except the red wine-shallot, has the same one used in the first recipe (garlic herb).

Garlic Herb

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

2 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon oregano, dried

1 sprig scallion

1 sprig of fresh thyme, stem removed

1 sprig of fresh rosemary, stem removed

1/4 teaspoon each of coarse salt and cracked black pepper

Method:

Blitz all the ingredients in a food processor until combined.

Place mixture on a sheet of parchment paper and roll into a log, twisting the end of the paper like a candy wrapper.

Refrigerate for at least two hours; slice into half-inch medallions before serving.

Sun-dried Tomato

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 garlic clove

5 leaves of fresh basil

1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped

1/4 tsp coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon each of coarse salt and cracked black pepper

Paprika and Herb

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 spring of fresh rosemary, stem removed

1 teaspoon top-quality smoked paprika (Spanish paprika is ideal)

1/4 teaspoon each of coarse salt and cracked black pepper

Blue Cheese

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled (feel free to double the amount if you love blue cheese)

1/4 teaspoon each of coarse salt and cracked black pepper

Red Wine-Shallot

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

2 medium-sized shallots, chopped

1/2 cup of red wine (merlot is suggested)

1/2 cup of flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, chopped

1/4 teaspoon each of coarse salt and cracked black pepper

Method:

Place the shallots and red wine in a saucepan and boil for eight to 10 minutes. Your goal is a concentrated, heavily reduced liquid — there should be very little red wine left in the pan.

Place the concentrated red wine and shallot mixture and all the other ingredients in a food processor and blitz until combined. Place mixture on a sheet of parchment paper and roll into a log, twisting the end of the paper like a candy wrapper. Refrigerate for at least two hours; slice into half-inch medallions before serving.

Photos: Bev Cooks, LifeSavvy, Sprinkles and Sprouts, Joyful Healthy Eats, Smells Like Home.