Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic Balsamic Butter

The flavour of this compound butter is complex - lightly sweet, with the various richly flavoured elements hitting the tongue at different times. Serve with crusty bread, over vegetables, chicken or fish.

1 cup salted butter
6 cloves garlic, roasted
2 Tbsp. roasted red peppers, minced
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp. pure honey

Add all ingredients to a food processor and process together until well blended, stopping processor to scrape sides as needed.

Put in an airtight container and refrigerate at least two hours to chill and allow flavours to blend. May be stored, refrigerated, up to 4 days.

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C/180°C fan, Gas Mark 6).

To Roast Garlic:
This method will work for 1 or more whole bulbs of garlic. Remove any loose papery skin from the outermost area of the garlic bulb, leaving the garlic bulb covered with the tight, close-fitting skin. With a sharp knife, slice off the upper 1/4 of the garlic bulb to expose the top of each clove. In a baking dish or pan of choice, drizzle with a small amount of olive oil. Place the garlic bulb(s) in the pan and drizzle well with olive oil. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake in oven for about 30 minutes until garlic cloves are soft. Test by piercing the garlic cloves with a fork tine, tip of sharp knife, or a toothpick.

Allow to cool before handling. Remove the individual cloves and squeeze out the creamy roasted garlic. Use immediately or store for up to 3 days, covered, in the refrigerator. The garlic may also be frozen, tightly covered, for several months.

Alternate butter-log option:

Place a large piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper (about 12-18" long) on counter-top. Put butter in the center of the wrap. With a spatula shape the butter into a rough "log" lengthwise on the wrap. Working from the long side of the wrap, roll the wrap tightly around the butter, shaping the log smoothly and evenly. Twist the ends of the plastic wrap tightly against the butter.