Beurre Maître d'Hôtel

Beurre Maître d'Hôtel

Beurre Maître d'Hôtel atop a New York strip steak, served with potatoes and creamed spinach
Type Compound butter
Place of origin France
Serving temperature Cold
Main ingredients Butter, parsley, lemon juice, salt, pepper
Variations Sweet versions exist
Cookbook: Beurre Maître d'Hôtel  Media: Beurre Maître d'Hôtel
A salmon steak with Beurre Maître d'Hôtel, served with spinach

Beurre Maître d'Hôtel, also referred to as Maître d'Hôtel butter,[1][2] is a type of compound butter (French: "Beurre composé") of French origin, prepared with butter, parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper.[1][3][4][5] It is typically a savory butter, and is used on meats such as steak, fish, vegetables and other foods. It may be used in the place of a sauce, and can significantly enhance a dish's flavor. Some variations with a sweet flavor exist.

Etymology

The name of Beurre Maître d'Hôtel is derived from the manner in which it was commonly prepared from scratch by a restaurant's maître d'hôtel at diners' tables.[6]

Preparation

Beurre Maître d'Hôtel is prepared by mixing softened butter with very finely minced parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper.[3][4] A ratio of around 1.5 tablespoons of parsley to two ounces of butter may be used.[7] Additional ingredients may include shallot and Worcestershire sauce.[8] Vinegar has been used, although its inclusion is rare.[1] After mixing, it is typically rolled in parchment paper and chilled to harden.[3][8]

Uses

Beurre Maître d'Hôtel is usually served cold as sliced disks atop various foods,[8] and sometimes as a side condiment. It is used on grilled meats such as steak, fish, eggs, vegetables, potatoes and breads.[3][8] Some variations exist, including a few sweet versions that include sugar, which may be used on dishes such as pancakes.[8] When used as a topping, it is typically added just before the dish is served.[1] It may be used in the place of a sauce,[8] and a small amount can significantly add to a dish's overall flavor.[6]

Beurre Maître d'Hôtel is used as an ingredient in Chateaubriand sauce,[9] which is sometimes used in the preparation of Chateaubriand steak.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Tasty Way To Butter Up Steak And Potatoes". Chicago Tribune. March 16, 1986. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  2. Virion, C. (1972). Charles Virion's French Country Cookbook. Hawthorn Books. p. 100.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Leslie Bilderback, CMB (2007). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Spices and Herbs. The Complete Idiot's Guide. DK Publishing. p. 165. ISBN 978-1-4406-2631-9.
  4. 1 2 Sinclair, C.G. (1998). International Dictionary of Food and Cooking. Fitzroy Dearborn. p. 60. ISBN 978-1-57958-057-5.
  5. "How to Make Beurre Composé". The Wall Street Journal. September 20, 2013. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  6. 1 2 Neman, Daniel (August 22, 2015). "Compounding makes butter better". Naples Daily News. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  7. David, E.; Child, J.; Renny, J. (1999). French Provincial Cooking. Penguin twentieth-century classics. Penguin Publishing Group. p. 133. ISBN 978-1-101-50123-8.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Leto, M.J.; Bode, W.K.H. (2006). The Larder Chef. Taylor & Francis. p. 92. ISBN 978-0-7506-6899-6.
  9. Sinclair, C. (2009). Dictionary of Food: International Food and Cooking Terms from A to Z. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 285. ISBN 978-1-4081-0218-3.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, December 06, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.