What’s Maitre d’Hotel Butter?

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Maître d’hôtel butter is a special butter/sauce served in good restaurants, but easily replicated at home. Its origins are pretty murky, but it’s now a common item on top menus, even though no one refers to it by its formal name. Actually, this would be considered the name “gourmet,” while many people would call it “herb butter.”

It starts life as a stick of regular, unsalted butter. With a spoon or mixer, a cook creams the butter and adds chopped parsley, lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of ground black or white pepper. The mixture is then collected in plastic wrap and formed into a log or roll. The roll is then refrigerated until firm.

To use maître d’hôtel butter, the cook simply cuts small rounds and serves them atop grilled meats or fish. As it melts, it forms a savory sauce that mixes with the meat juices, boosting the flavor of the meat and giving it richness. The remaining butter can be rewrapped and refrigerated for two to three days until needed.

There are endless variations on maître d’hôtel butter. Adding garlic, for example, turns the mixture into escargot butter. Some cooks may also add bleu, chives, marjoram or chopped basil to their personal version. The goal is to give more flavor, texture and richness to the meat.

However, maître d’hôtel butter has other uses than being used on grilled meat. It is a favorite spread for crusty bread or French bruschetta. It’s also delicious on a whole-wheat toasted roll or cheddar cheese biscuit. This butter also lends richness and flavor to an omelette or quiche. Since it’s so easy to prepare, any cook can tailor any dressing to their taste, making it a versatile seasoning method.

Any cook who wants to give their grilled meat or homemade bread a boost should try making this herb butter. It’s a fool-proof way to put a different look on a familiar favorite.

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