Chive-Cheese Butter

Three ingredients, no cooking, and you’ve got a compound butter that turns a plain steak or baked potato into something restaurant-worthy. Roquefort cheese blended with softened butter and chives creates a pungent, creamy spread with a sharp blue cheese bite.

Rolling the mixture into a log on waxed paper is the classic move. After an hour in the fridge, it firms up enough to slice into neat rounds. Set a coin of this on a hot grilled steak and watch it melt into a rich, tangy sauce right on the plate.

The Roquefort does all the seasoning work. Its salty, funky intensity means you don’t need to add anything else.

Chef Tips

• Make sure the butter is truly softened to room temperature. Cold butter won’t blend smoothly with the crumbly cheese.
• Twist the ends of the waxed paper like a candy wrapper to compress the log into a tight cylinder. Loose rolls fall apart when sliced.
• This freezes beautifully for up to two months. Slice rounds while frozen and they’ll thaw in minutes on hot food.
• Use frozen chopped chives as the recipe calls for. They blend in more evenly than fresh, which can clump.

Variations

• Swap Roquefort for Gorgonzola for a milder, creamier blue cheese flavor.
• Add a teaspoon of cracked black pepper for a peppery kick.
• Try this melted over roasted asparagus or steamed green beans as a side dish finisher.