A ranch-leaning, garlic-forward compound butter built around Pluck Zesty Garlic seasoning. Designed for finishing lobster tails, steaks, roasted vegetables, or warm bread. Makes about 1 cup — enough for 8 generous servings.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cups unsalted butter, European-style if you have it, softened to room temp
- 2 tablespoons Pluck Zesty Garlic seasoning
- 2 fresh garlic cloves, microplaned
- 1 teaspoons lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
- 1 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
- 0.3 teaspoons flaky sea salt
- 0.3 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
PREPARATION
Soften the butter properly: Pull 1 cups unsalted butter, European-style if you have it, softened to room temp out of the fridge 45 minutes to an hour before you start. You want it pliable but not greasy — when you press it with a fork, it should give without smearing. Cold butter won't take the seasoning evenly. Melted butter loses the structure that makes a compound butter work.
Bloom the seasoning: In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons Pluck Zesty Garlic seasoning with 1 teaspoons fresh lemon juice. Let it sit for 5 minutes. The acid wakes up the dried herbs and lemon peel in the Pluck blend and helps the organ-meat umami integrate rather than sitting on top.
Build the butter: In a medium bowl, add 1 cups unsalted butter, European-style if you have it, softened to room temp, the bloomed seasoning mixture, 2 fresh garlic cloves, microplaned, 1 teaspoons lemon zest (from 1 lemon), 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, 1 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped, 0.3 teaspoons flaky sea salt, and 0.3 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper. Mash together with a fork or rubber spatula until everything is evenly distributed. Don't whip it — you're folding, not aerating.
Taste and adjust: Taste a small amount on a piece of bread or a cracker, not from the spoon. Butter mutes flavor, so what tastes balanced on its own will taste underseasoned on food. If it needs more punch, add another teaspoon of Pluck. More brightness, another squeeze of lemon. Trust your tongue.
Log roll and chill: Lay a 12-inch sheet of parchment paper on the counter. Spoon the butter in a rough log along the long edge, about 2 inches from the bottom. Roll the parchment up and over the butter, then twist the ends like a candy wrapper, rolling the log against the counter to tighten it into a clean cylinder. Refrigerate at least 120 minutes, or freeze for 30 minutes if you need it firm faster.
Slice and serve: Slice into ½-inch coins. Place a coin on a hot lobster tail right out of the broiler — it'll melt into the meat and pool in the shell. Same move works on a rested steak, a baked potato split open, or a thick slice of grilled sourdough. The butter keeps in the fridge for 2 weeks, in the freezer for 3 months.
CHEF NOTES
The Pluck blend is already salted with Redmond Real Salt, so the ¼ tsp flaky salt at the end is for finishing texture, not seasoning level. Taste before adding more.
If you can find cultured European butter (Plugrá, Kerrygold, Beurre d'Isigny), use it. Higher butterfat percentage, less water, and a tangier base that pairs well with the ranch-leaning Pluck profile.
The fresh garlic alongside the Pluck's powdered garlic is intentional — raw garlic gives a sharp top note, the Pluck gives the deeper baked-garlic backbone. Both, not one.
For lobster specifically: pull the tail from the broiler 30 seconds early, drop a coin of this butter on top, and let the residual heat finish it. The butter will baste the meat as it melts.
Variation worth trying: fold in 1 tsp finely minced shallot and a teaspoon of cognac before chilling. Turns it into a steakhouse-style maître d' butter with the Pluck flavor still leading.