It feels a little cheeky to suggest a recipe for garlic butter. In my defence, I would like to say:
- In the same way that Yogi is smarter than the average bear, this garlic butter is tastier than the average garlic butter.
- It’s fabulous stuff to have in the fridge. Garlic bread, chicken kiev, sauteed greens etc can be made with no fuss whatsoever.
- I’m really tired.
Garlic Butter
150g unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tblspn fresh parsley, chopped finely
Salt and pepper
1 large bulb of garlic
1 extra clove of garlic, crushed
- Heat an oven to 180oc. Break up the garlic bulb and place in small baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, cover with foil and roast for 20 mins or until the cloves are soft to the touch.
- Squeeze the roasted garlic out of their skins and chop roughly.
- Mix roasted garlic, crushed garlic and parsley with butter. Season to taste.
- Place garlic butter mixture on to a sheet of clingflim (what do you North Americans call this again? Some kind of wrap? It’s the clear plasticky stuff). Fold cling film and mould mixture into a sausage shape. Wrap tightly and store in the fridge.
A Wee Bit of Cooking 
Saran wrap is I think the phrase your looking for me’dear.
I reckon you’re probably right about this – there’s something much nicer about using mellow roasted garlic but it’s nice to have a bit of the sharpness of fresh in there too.
Our local pizza place uses thickly sliced raw cloves on top of a pizza base and its just too much for me. Plus you aren’t made welcome at work the next day
I love the garlic’ s taste Wendy and this butter I imagine over toasted bread and is nice to me!!! Gloria
Great idea to roast the garlic – I’ve never thought of doing that for garlic butter. Not cheeky at all – I shall definately use this method. Thanks for the idea.
Sophie – I wondered what the hell you were talking about for a second, then I said “saran wrap” out loud. That’s the American word for clingfilm. I always thought they meant “surround wrap” but just said it in a funny accent!
😀
Gloria – This on toast is heavenly!
Antonia – You’re welcome! 🙂
Thank you for this idea. My kids devour shop-bought garlic bread, but don’t like my home made- shame! Maybe they’ll prefer the subtler taste of this. But why unsalted butter?
(Saran-wrap is a trade name, we have it in work – in Glasgow)
You’re allowed to be tired, but just this once. 🙂 Garlic butter is also fantastic allowed to melt atop a big, juicy steak. Naughty, but fantastic.
No apology necessary. Good food is good food, and this is no exception.
A slice of butter melted into a cob of corn. Love the recipe!
Butter! You know that makes me happy 😀
This would be DIVINE with shrimp and diced tomatoes over pasta AKA shrimp scampi or with a nice filet of mahi-mahi. I just bought 4 pounds of unsalted butter to used in holiday baking and I may have to divert the use of at least a little of it to make some of this. I can taste it already. YUM!
Nodwah – Unsalted because it allows you to season the butter to your own taste. Salted would be absolutely fine, of course. I’m just a bit of a control freak!
Annemarie – I saw a picture of a knob of garlic butter melting on a steak the other day and thought “why have I never had that?!” 🙂
Christina – 🙂 Glad you approve.
Megan – I love corn on the cob. Fun food.
Anh – You and me both!
Tunesia – Adore that pasta idea. That may be dinner tonight. 🙂
I’ve never thought of roasting garlic for garlic butter before, so this is an excellent and fully justified garlic butter recipe post IMHO:) Thanks!
Wendy, although this sounds easy and is easy it is packed full of flavour and to us foodies that is what really counts. Besides sometimes we forget the simpler things that are really nice. Thanks for posting this and guess what I will be getting at the grocery store today.:)
Sometimes what seems like the simplest dishes are always the best. Thanks for the tip Wendy on making this garlic butter. I have some storebought garlic butter in the fridge at the moment…maybe that will have to go…
You know, I’ve heard of doing this, but have never tried it! Perhaps it’s time … think of the possibilities! sweet … savory … Oh, and I always grew up saying “Platic Wrap,” not saran wrap. Maybe that was a California thing? 🙂
oops, that should read “Plastic Wrap.”
Pille – I’m very glad you think so. 🙂
Pat – Let me know what you think!
Valli – I reckon my version could give the store bought a run for its money… 😉
Brianna – I knew what you meant. 🙂 You’ve got me thinking of other types of flavoured butter now…
Yes, Saran wrap. That’s a brand name, Wendy. It’s just plastic wrap.
I like these butters. I just cut the whole head of garlic in half and roast it that way, then squeeze the inners just like you.
Saran Wrap and Cling Wrap are two brand names here in the States. So when you said clingfilm, hey you were not too far off! My favorite way to use this butter is on a piece of fish hot off the grill! I love making these butters as you can go wild and crazy with the herbs and “stuff” that you add. Mike likes it when I put chopped hot peppers in it also, but Mike likes hot peppers in everything!
I can’t believe I’ve never, ever made it.
I imagine melting, tender greens sauteed in it to be a very fine thing. Beautiful.
And what would make you think you have to apologize for presenting a recipe on garlic butter? Garlic and butter? Come on. We’re all thrilled!
The nice thing is that it reminds us that it can be made ahead and stored; I usually just make enough for an individual recipe.
Wendy I tagged you for a short Meme today. I know you are very busy, so only if you have time. Cheers!
Maryann – Do you find that the bulb roasting works with older garlic? Or only fresh garlic?
Deb – Love the chilli idea! And you’ll see that I’ve done the meme. 🙂
Lucy – Greens really are superb with this. 🙂 It’s a staple in my kitchen.
Susan – Oh good! 🙂
Betty – I realised this after making too much by mistake!
How pretty!
Hi wendy, I like your first point about Yogi. Thanks for posting this, it’s one of those things I say that I would do, but never get round to, so thanks for the reminder. Hope that you’ll get some rest this weekend to re-charge.
Lydia – I was slightly concerned that it wouldn’t photograph well but it turned out rather nice, I though! 🙂
Nora – It’s very little effort for great results. I love having this in the fridge and just melting a blob on, well, anything!
I haven’t noticed a difference, Wendy. I just roast until it’s done 🙂
Maryann – Ok, will try that method again! In season, I roast fresh bulbs this way but the one time I tried roasting a whole older bulb (what’s usually sold in our stores) it didn’t cook evenly. Maybe it was just a bad bulb.
Garlic Butter…how can you go wrong? The best compound butter of all time in my opinion! Call it low brow, but I call it sublime, and this recipe’s a beauty.
Amanda – Thank you! Lovely to see you back. 🙂
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Oh i cannot wait to use this recipe! Yum! Love garlic.