Chili Lime Garlic Butter
Compound butter is a great way to upgrade any dish.
At our restaurant, Hattaway’s on Alder, we always keep several kinds of compound butter on hand, using them in various recipes (sometimes five or six variations at once). The variety of compound butters is endless. They could be herb butter, fruit butter, garlic butter, citrus butter, Tomato Compound Butter, and contain chilies, spices, or wine.
They are a great way to use that second half of a lemon left over from a recipe or the remnants of a bunch of parsley you have in hand. However, this butter is purpose-driven, containing acid, spice, and a slight garlic bite. It does wonders with shrimp like our Grilled Shrimp Tacos, but it’s so versatile you’ll probably use it everywhere.
Chili Lime Garlic Butter
1 1/2
cup5
minutes20
minutes10
minutes35
minutesKeep the screen on while I cook
Ingredients
3 guajillo chilies
2 garlic cloves
1 cup salted butter (softened)
2 tbsp lime juice
zest of one lime
1 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp salt
Method
- Remove the stems and seeds of the guajillos.
- Place them in a small pot with water, cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for 20 minutes.
- Remove the lid, turn the heat off, and let steep for another 10 minutes.
- Remove the guajillos and let them drain well but reserve the chili water.
- Place them in a small food processor with a tablespoon of the chili water and half of the butter. Purée until the chilies are fully incorporated and the butter is a bright orange.
- Grate in the garlic, and add the remaining butter, lime juice, lime zest, honey, and salt. Pulse until the mixture is smooth.
Field Notes
- For spicier compound butter, use hotter chilies, such as Chipotle, Morita, Pequin, or Pasillas.
- Showcase this butter with Grilled Corn with Chili Lime Garlic Butter.
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