Compound butters are quite simply butter that has been mixed with flavorful ingredients such as fresh herbs, chiles, capers, anchovies, mustard, lemon juice, garlic or shallots. They offer an easy way to infuse a simple meal with complex flavor and require minimal effort.
This 3 ingredient dill caper butter is one of my favorite compound butter combinations. I love it on a piece of rye crispbread topped with a sliced hard-boiled egg and fresh dill…a quick, savory breakfast or snack that tastes like more than the sum of its parts. You might also try it stirred into cooked vegetables, a simple bowl of cooked grains, or dolloped over the top of a piece of roasted salmon or grilled steak.
The options for this easy and versatile dill caper butter are endless!
Why This Recipe Works
This recipe is just so incredibly simple but has the ability to elevate a simple dish into something rich and complex.
What Makes this Recipe Nordic/Scandinavian?
All of the components of this easy compound butter are staples of Scandinavian cuisine that also happen to play very well together: butter, dill and capers.
The Ingredients
Only three ingredients needed for this recipe! I use capers packed in brine (available in most well-stocked grocery stores). As capers are quite salty on their own, I also choose unsalted butter rather than salted for this recipe.
How to Make This Recipe
- Begin by setting out your butter so that it can come to room temperature before you begin mixing your ingredients together. Alternatively, you can warm the butter in the microwave at 10% power for one minute at a time until it is soft enough work with.
- Combine the softened butter, chopped capers and dill together in a medium bowl. Mix thoroughly with a fork.
- Either use immediately or transfer the butter to a piece of saran wrap, wrap and shape into a cylinder about 1 ¼ inch in diameter. Place the wrapped butter cylinder in the refrigerator or the freezer for longer storage.
- Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Make sure your butter is thoroughly softened before trying to mix the ingredients together. It's about a thousand times easier to get everything combined if your butter is nice and soft.
- If you don't plan to use the butter immediately, be sure to wrap it in plastic wrap in a cylinder shape and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for three months. This makes it easy to just cut off a round or two as you need it. Compound butter is a great make ahead option for bring an easy burst of flavor to your meals!
- Play around with your own flavor combinations! Some of my other favorite combinations are shallot and parsley, rosemary and roasted garlic or horseradish and chive. Really any combination of fresh herbs and aromatics is an option here.
FAQS
Compound butters are quite simply butter that has been mixed with flavorful ingredients such as fresh herbs, chiles, capers, anchovies, mustard, lemon juice, garlic or shallots. They offer an easy way to infuse a simple meal with complex flavor and require minimal effort.
Spread it on bread, crispbread or crackers, toss with simply cooked green beans or other vegetables, dollop on top of roasted salmon or grilled steak, tuck some under the skin of chicken or turkey before roasting, stir into a bowl of cooked rice or whole grains such as barley or farro.
Wrap it in plastic wrap in a cylinder shape and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This makes it easy to cut off a round or two of butter as you need it.
Wrapped in saran wrap in a cylinder shape, compound butters freeze like a dream for at least three months. When you are ready to use it, simply cut off the amount of butter that you need and return the remaining portion to the freezer.
Related Recipes
Looking for more Scandi-inspired recipes for fresh dill? I've got several here on the blog:
Give this easy 3 ingredient flavor booster a try sometime soon! I know you're going to love it.
Dill Caper Butter
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 tablespoon small capers stored in brine rinsed, drained and chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator in a tightly wrapped cylinder shape for up to five days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Make sure your butter is thoroughly softened before trying to mix the ingredients together. It's about a thousand times easier to get everything combined if your butter is nice and soft.
- Because capers are naturally salty, you shouldn't need to season the compound butter with additional salt.
- If you don't plan to use the butter immediately, be sure to wrap it in plastic wrap in a cylinder shape and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 3 months. This makes it easy to just cut off a round or two as you need it. Compound butter is a great make ahead option for bring an easy burst of flavor to your meals!
- Play around with your own flavor combinations! Some of my other favorite combinations are shallot and parsley, rosemary and roasted garlic or horseradish and chive. Really any combination of fresh herbs and aromatics is an option here.
Nutrition
If you loved this recipe, give it a star review! Also, snap a picture of your Dill Caper Butter in action and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #truenorthkitchen and tagging me @true_north_kitchen.
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