Wild Mushroom Butter

Stretch the flavor of your precious wild mushrooms with this compound butter. (beats1/shutterstock)

Wild mushrooms are delicious but can be hard to come by, and this recipe makes a little go a long way. Boletes, chanterelle, and oyster mushrooms are a natural fit, but you might also use the woodsy Hawk’s wings or vibrant red lobster mushrooms. If you can’t find wild mushrooms, cultivated varieties from any grocery store also work well.

To use this butter, allow it to soften and spread over toasted sourdough bread, or let it melt over a seared steak or a plate of roasted potatoes.

Makes about 1 1/4 cups

• 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons softened, unsalted butter (divided)
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 1/2 cup finely chopped wild mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat until it begins to foam. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the minced shallot and sauté until fragrant and translucent.

Tip the wild mushrooms into the skillet. Stir with a wooden spoon to promote even cooking, scraping any bits that stick to the bottom. Sprinkle the mushrooms with thyme, white pepper, and salt, and cook until softened and tender, about 6 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool for about 10 minutes.

While the mushrooms cool, beat the remaining 1 cup of softened butter in a stand mixer until lightened. Spoon the mushroom and shallot mixture into the butter, then fold together until the mushrooms are well incorporated.

Transfer the compound butter onto a piece of wax paper and use the paper to mold it into a log. Wrap and seal the butter tightly. It will keep for 1 month in the fridge and up to 6 months in the freezer.