Chili-Anchovy Butter
This anchovy butter is always in my freezer, for the simple reason that just a little bit can turn plain pasta, rice, chicken, meat, shrimp or fish into something resembling a legit, thought-out meal by instantly adding a ton of flavor. This butter is the cure for boredom and dinner-based bland sadness.
Don’t be afraid of anchovies! Once the anchovies are mashed up and mixed with the butter, garlic, lemon and pepper flakes, they don’t taste of fish so much as they add a giant hit of umami flavor to whatever you add this to. I like to put a pat of this butter on top of a grilled or roasted steak or pork chop, use it to quickly sauté shrimp and fish, or throw a pat or two over hot pasta or rice. Melt it over a pile of vegetables looking at you with high expectations. If you want to add a savory kick to breakfast, use it to fry eggs and on toast. And later in the day, it also happens to turn popcorn into a next-level cocktail snack.
Makes 1 cup
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cloves garlic, grated on a microplane or minced
6 anchovy fillets, mashed into a paste with a fork (see note)
1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp lemon juice
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and mix with a rubber spatula until evenly combined. Scrape the butter onto a sheet of parchment or plastic wrap, and use the edges of the sheet to form it into a log. If you plan on freezing the butter, cut the roll into 2-inch pieces before freezing it, so you can quickly use a little bit at a time.