Garlic Chili Pepper Butter

This flavored butter is such a versatile staple to have in your fridge. I use it to flavor grilled meats, vegetables, on sweet potatoes, a crusty bread,...try swapping your plain butter for this one in your next grilled cheese! The chili peppers I use are delicate, smoky Calabrian peppers, packed in oil, found in most gourmet grocery stores. They are a tad cumbersome to seed, but worth the effort. You can substitute other peppers, simply be mindful of the differences in heat. Blackened red bell peppers are also a good choice. This is a basic recipe which can be augmented with other herbs and spices, if desired.

Prep Time: 10 minutes Yield: 2 cups

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup drained and seeded Calabrian chili peppers

2-3 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon ground mustard

1/4 teaspoon ground paprika

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt (to taste)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or flat leaf parsley

Process all ingredients, except the cilantro or parsley, in a food processor until smooth. Stir in the cilantro or parsley.

For convenience, place the butter on wax paper, roll into a cylinder, and store in freezer. To use, simply cut off the desired amount needed, thawing in refrigerator a few hours.

The butter will keep in the freezer for 2 months.