Classic and Improvised Flavored Butters

You can make these butters in one of two ways: whipped or worked. To make a “worked” compound butter, just work the softened butter with the rest of the ingredients in a bowl with a wooden spoon until everything is well combined. If you’re making a big batch—you’re using more than 1 or 2 sticks of butter—use an electric mixer with the fiat paddle blade. You can serve the butter in a bowl at the table or put a dollop on each steak, or you can roll up the butter in a sheet of wax paper, twist the two ends in opposite directions so you end up with a kind of sausage, chill, remove the paper, and slice the butter into decorative disks. If you want whipped butter, you’ll need an electric mixer. Start by working the butter with the paddle blade; when the butter has softened, switch to the whisk and beat the butter until it is fluffy, about 10 minutes. Serve the butter right away-—especially important if it’s a hot day— and don’t refrigerate it or it will harden again and you’ll have to rewhip it.