tomato butter
Tomato butter is a truly excellent way to 1) use those sweet, end-of-summer tomatoes, and 2) sex up a steak real nice. You should do it, you should double it for your freezer and you should really add at least one anchovy.
yield ~ 1 cup
6 T cultured salted butter, divided
1/2 medium white onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 anchovy filets or 1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional, but strongly encouraged)
1-2 ts red chili flake
1 pint sungold or cherry tomatoes
1/4 ts sugar or honey
recipe prep
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt half the butter. Once melted, add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and very tender. Add anchovy and chili flake and stir until anchovy dissolves.
Add tomatoes and sugar, stirring occasionally as the tomatoes break down and (gently!) burst. Expect some browning of the butter, but you can turn the heat down to medium-low if it’s burbling too intensely. Cook until some of the tomato juice reduces and everything is almost starting to get jammy, 7-10 minutes. Add the remaining butter until just melted.
Serve warm or room temperature with steak, warm bread or whatever you want!
freeze this Use some of your last-of-the-season tomatoes to make a double batch of tomato butter and freeze half for later. Winter-you will be eternally grateful.
