Garlic Sandwich Butter

Two ingredients. That’s it. Unsalted butter and mashed raw garlic mixed until smooth.

The key is mashing the garlic to a paste rather than mincing it. A paste distributes evenly through the butter so you get garlic in every bite instead of random sharp hits. Use the flat side of a knife with a sprinkle of coarse salt to crush the cloves, then scrape and press until you have a smooth paste.

Let the butter soften to room temperature before mixing. Cold butter won’t absorb the garlic evenly and you’ll end up with pockets of intense garlic surrounded by plain butter. Once combined, it’s ready to spread on sandwiches, slather on bread for the broiler, or melt over grilled steak.

Pro Tips

• Make it ahead. Garlic butter actually improves after sitting in the fridge overnight as the garlic flavor permeates the butter more evenly.
• Roll the finished butter into a log using plastic wrap, chill, and slice off rounds as needed.
• Two cloves is mild. If you want real garlic punch, go to three or four.

Variations

• Add a tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley for classic garlic herb butter.
• Mix in a squeeze of lemon juice and use it on grilled seafood.
• Stir in a pinch of red pepper flakes for spicy garlic bread.