APLK: Hatch Chile Compound Butter

Post and images by guest blogger, Rebecca White, of A Pleasant Little Kitchen. 

Visit her full blog or find out more about her here. 

There’s no better celebration of Hatch Green Chiles than at Market Street. Every year, without fail, this wonderful store honors and has fun with one of the most unique chiles.

If you don’t know, Hatch chiles are unique to this region of the country. Native to Hatch, New Mexico, Hatch Green Chiles contain a flavor unlike any other chile and are available only during late summer.

That’s why there is a need to celebrate this beautiful produce annually—to recognize it’s uniqueness and it’s availability.

Market Street does this with weekly Hatch roasting and several Hatch chile products they make available: Hatch Chile Queso, Guacamole and Apple Pie (just to name a few).

One of my family’s favorites is the Hatch Chile Cornbread. Every year we add this product to our August grocery list because it goes so well with almost everything we cook. From Hatch Braised Pork Shoulder to Hatch Scrambled Eggs, the cornbread is a perfect partner.

This year, I felt the need to make the cornbread even more Hatch-y with a Hatch Chile compound butter. This easy combination of unsalted butter, Hatch Green Chiles and fresh garlic makes for a phenomenal and flavor-loaded butter.

What makes this butter even better is that while freshly roasted Hatch Green Chiles make for a rich flavor, canned chiles work great too (when it’s February and you’ve already run out of your frozen roasted Hatch green chile supply).

Hatch Green Chile Compound Butter is the gift that keeps on giving. It works great on Market Street’s cornbread and can replace unsalted butter anywhere you want a bit of Hatch flavor. Roasted Chicken! Grilled Cheese Sandwiches! Scrambled Eggs!

Celebrate the beauty of Hatch Green Chile Season with this versatile, flavor infused butter. It will become an August tradition. 

Hatch Chile Compound Butter  

Author note: This recipe is easily halved. If you prefer a salty butter, feel free to use salted butter or add kosher salt to taste to the list of ingredients.     

2 sticks unsalted butter, set out for 1 hour        

1/4 cup Hatch chiles (roasted and peeled), chopped      

4 garlic cloves, rough chopped

Place all ingredients into a food processor. Blitz until well combined. If serving soon, scoop desired mixture into a small butter bowl and set aside.

To store the butter follow these steps: place half of the mixture onto the bottom third of a 12-inch sheet of plastic wrap. Shape the butter into a cylinder and roll the butter into the plastic wrap, reforming the cylinder as needed. The butter should be completely covered. Place in fridge and let harden for at least 1 hour.   

Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before serving.