Herb Lemon Zest Butter Food

LEMON HERB BUTTER ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
• Mix all the lemon herb butter ingredients together in a small bowl. Use the zest from the lemon you'll use with the chicken. (You only need one lemon)
• Cut the lemon in half and remove as many seeds as possible. Place the carrots, shallots, apple, and herbs in the bottom of a baking pan.
• Dry the chicken with paper towels then spread half the butter under the skin on the breasts. Using your hands, make small pockets between the flesh and the skin near the cavity side of the chicken. Stuff some butter into the pockets then use your hands to push it up over the whole breasts. Try to stuff some more butter under the skin around the legs. Be careful not to break the skin. Use half the butter under the skin and rub the remaining butter over the skin.
• Place the butter rubbed chicken on top of the veggies in the pan. Squeeze the lemon juice over the top then nestle the lemon halves beside the chicken. Roast the chicken for 45 minutes then turn the oven down to 350 degrees and roast for another 45 minutes.
• Remove the chicken from the oven and place it on a serving platter. Spoon the veggies out of the pan and place them beside the chicken. Discard the lemon and herbs. Pour the remaining juices into a bowl and serve beside the chicken.

LEMON-HERB COMPOUND BUTTER

Steps:

• In a small bowl, add the butter, mint, parsley, tarragon, chile flakes, lemon zest, garlic and black pepper to taste and mash it up with a fork. Transfer to a ramekin.

ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH LEMONY HERB BREADCRUMBS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with foil.
• Put the Brussels sprouts on the prepared baking sheet. Add the oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and toss to coat. Spread out the sprouts cut-side down in 1 layer and roast until tender and browned, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, warm the butter and garlic in a medium skillet over medium heat until both start to brown. Remove and discard the garlic. Add the panko, thyme, crushed red pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the lemon zest and parsley.
• Toss the Brussels sprouts with the lemon juice. Serve topped with the panko mixture.

LEMON HERB BUTTER

Steps:

• Mash butter in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Mix lemon zest, lemon juice, rosemary, thyme, sage, salt, and black pepper into the butter until thoroughly combined.

GRILLED OYSTERS WITH LEMONY GARLIC-HERB BUTTER

Steps:

• Ignite a full chimney of coals and spread out under one side of the grill once they are fully covered in gray ash, or heat half the burners of a gas grill to high. Cover and let the grill heat for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut off a sheet of aluminum foil twice the length of a 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet. Crumple it up so that it fits into the baking sheet. The crumpled foil should be able to support the cupped side of the oysters without allowing them to tip over.
• Prepare the garlic-herb butter: In a food processor, combine the butter, parsley, basil, garlic, lemon zest and juice, a large pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Process until the herbs are finely chopped and there are no large chunks of butter remaining, about 30 seconds total, stopping to scrape down the sides of the processor with a rubber spatula a few times as needed. Transfer the mixture to a small, oven-safe saucepan.
• Using tongs, arrange the oysters over the hot side of the grill, placing them with the cupped sides down, doing your best to set them in the grates so that oyster juices don't pour out of the cups as they open. Cover and cook, checking on them every minute or so, and transferring any oysters that have begun to gape open to the foil-lined baking sheet. After a total of 4 minutes, transfer any remaining oysters to the foil whether they have opened or not. Place the saucepan on the cooler side of the grill.
• As soon as the oysters are cool enough to handle, pry off the top shells with a butter knife or oyster knife, severing through the muscle that holds the oyster to the shell and retaining as much juice in the shell as possible. For oysters that aren't already gaping open, the easiest way to pry off the lids is by inserting the tip of the knife into the joint and firmly twisting it until the joint releases.
• Spoon a generous teaspoon of the garlic-herb butter (which should be fully melted by now) into each oyster, then return the oysters directly onto the grates on the hot side of the grill. Cook, uncovered, until the sauce mixture is bubbling hot, about 1 minute. Return the oysters to the foil-lined baking sheet and serve immediately.

LEMON AND HERB BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a small saucepan and once it is bubbling, add the sage and lemon zest.
• Gently cook for 1 minute and then add the lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Cook for a further minute and then pour over cooked pasta, chicken or fish.

LEMON & HERB-BASTED SIMPLE ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Remove any giblets from the turkey and save for stock, if you are making your own (see 'Tip'). Remove the bird from the fridge 1 hr before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature. Wipe the turkey inside and out with kitchen paper.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Starting at the neck-end of the bird, carefully push your fingers between the skin and flesh on the breast, loosening the skin. Mix the butter, lemon zest, herbs and garlic together and season. Push the flavoured butter under the skin and spread over the flesh. Smooth the skin back over the breast.
• You can now stuff the neck-end of the bird with the stuffing, if you like, and secure the skin underneath with a skewer. Weigh the turkey and calculate the cooking time - it will need 40 mins for every 1kg.
• Transfer the bird to a roasting tin, cover loosely with foil and place in the middle of the oven. Cook for 20 mins, then reduce the temperature to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 for the rest of the cooking time. Remove the foil for the last 30 mins. Check if the turkey is cooked by piercing the thickest part of the thigh with a skewer. If the juices run clear, it's cooked. If they are pink, return it to the oven for another 15 mins, then test again. If using a meat thermometer, it should read 80C for the thighs, and the breast should be 75C.
• Remove the cooked turkey from the tin, and place on a serving platter (use the tin to make the gravy - see 'Goes well with'). Cover with foil and leave to rest for 30-45 mins before carving.