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It is no secret that I love pickles. I even have a hat to prove it...
And while I will happily munch on a straight up pickle any time of day, I also believe that there are not enough pickles IN things. So while I will never abandon my beloved pickle (or stop pickling things, like this amazing pickled cauliflower), I believe I am now on a mission to create a more pickle-inclusive world. The first step was the creation of my Kind of a Big Dill spice blend, which is a pickle spice party in a jar with its combination of dill, black pepper, brown mustard seed, garlic, coriander, kosher salt, allspice, bay leaf, and California chile.
Step two is this little recipe right here. And yes, you read it right. It's Pickle Butter. This compound butter (which is what we in the food world call butter that you've added mix-ins like herbs, spices, shallots, whatever) is the things dreams are made of. It's rich and buttery (duh) but has a tang and crunch that is just... dare I say dill-icious? Hahaha. Ok. Enough babbling. Let's make some Pickle Butter!!
Note: I used cornichons in the recipe because I like the extra tang they provide and their flesh to seed ratio is amazing due to their small size, but this recipe works just as well with regular dill pickles. If you are using large pickles, I suggest removing the seeds and just using the fleshy, crunchy part of the pickle for best results texturally.
Pickle Butter
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup chopped cornichons
1 tablespoon brine from the cornichon jar
1 teaspoon Kind of a Big Dill spice blend
Directions:
Mix together all ingredients using a spoon or silicone spatula, making sure everything is thoroughly combined. Serve at room temperature.
Pickle butter is a great accompaniment for warm dinner rolls, but there are so many more ways to use it too. Slather it on some toasted crostini and top with thin slices of prosciutto for a mind blowing yet simple appetizer. Rub it all over chicken (including under the skin) before roasting it. Grill up some salmon and top with a dollop of it as the fish comes off the grill. Melt it and drizzle it over some freshly popped popcorn. The possibilities are endless.