Meyer Lemon Butter Recipes

GRILLED SALMON WITH HERB AND MEYER LEMON COMPOUND BUTTER

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the butter, zest, herbs and garlic. Mix until everything is well mixed. Season, to taste, with salt. If using right away, keep the butter at room temperature. If making ahead, reserve in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before using.
• Preheat grill to medium.
• Remove the salmon from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature. Season with salt and coat with olive oil. Brush and oil the grill. Place the salmon, skin side down, on the clean, preheated grill. After 2 to 3 minutes, rotate the salmon 90 degrees to create cross-hatch grill marks on the salmon skin. Cook the salmon for another 3 to 4 minutes. As the salmon cooks it will turn from translucent orange to opaque pink.
• Turn the salmon over and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. If the salmon starts to burn, or the flames flare up move the fish to a cooler part of the grill.* Remove from the grill and top with the room temperature compound butter. The butter should act as a sauce and melt over and coat the grilled salmon.
• What a delish fish!
• *Tip: It is a general rule to cook fish for 8 minutes per inch of thickness. I like salmon cooked to about medium, so I cook mine for a little less.

MEYER LEMON BUTTER

Steps:

• Stir together butter, lemon zest and juice, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

GRILLED BURGERS WITH MEYER LEMON BUTTER

Steps:

• Mix butter, all herbs, lemon peel, and lemon juice in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Measure 1/3 cup herb butter; transfer to sheet of plastic wrap (reserve remaining butter in bowl for spreading on buns). Using plastic wrap as aid, form butter into 3-inch-long log; wrap plastic around to seal. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. Cut crosswise into 4 rounds. Flatten rounds into 2-inch-diameter disks.
• Divide meat into 4 equal pieces. Using damp hands, form each piece into ball. Using thumb, make deep wide indentation in center of each ball. Press 1 lemon-butter round flatly into indentation, then press meat securely over butter to enclose. Flatten each burger into 31/2-inch-diameter patty, leaving butter rounds horizontally in center of each burger. DO AHEAD: Herb butter and burgers can be made 6 hours ahead. Place burgers on baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and chill. Cover and chill herb butter in bowl; bring to room temperature before continuing.
• Brush barbecue rack with oil. Prepare barbecue (high heat). Sprinkle both sides of burgers with salt and pepper. Spread remaining butter over cut sides of buns. Grill burgers until cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Grill buns until slightly charred, about 1 minute per side.
• Place burgers on bun bottoms. Top with tomato slices and arugula leaves. Cover with bun tops and serve.

MEYER LEMON CURD

Steps:

• Beat sugar and butter together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in eggs and yolks one at a time until incorporated. Mix in lemon juice. Transfer mixture to a saucepan.
• Cook the mixture over low heat, stirring gently until smooth. Increase the heat to medium and simmer gently, stirring constantly, until curd is thick enough to coat a spoon and reaches 170 degrees F (77 degrees C) on a candy thermometer, 15 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest.
• Transfer curd to a bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin forming as it cools. Allow to cool briefly, about 10 minutes. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill until thick.

MEYER LEMON TART

Steps:

• Make the crust: in the bowl of a mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add egg yolk and the milk, and beat to combine. In a medium bowl, combine the flour with salt. Slowly add the flour to the butter mixture, stirring until completely blended. Gather dough into two balls. Freeze one for future use, chill the other for at least 1 hour.
• Heavily butter a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough into the pan and trim the edges. Prick the bottom with a fork, and place the shell in the freezer for 30 minutes.
• While shell is in freezer, prepare lemon curd. Grate zest of lemons. Squeeze lemons to extract 1 cup of juice. In a medium nonreactive saucepan, combine juice and zest. Add remaining sugar, butter and salt. Place over medium heat, stirring once or twice, until sugar is dissolved and the butter is melted.
• In bowl of a mixer, combine eggs and egg yolks until blended. Slowly add hot lemon mixture to eggs until blended. Return mixture to saucepan, and place over low heat. Whisk constantly until mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency; do not allow it to boil. Remove from heat, and continue to stir to stop the cooking. Strain lemon curd into a bowl. Adjust sugar to taste; the curd should be tart, but may need additional sugar if the lemons were unripe. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it right against the surface of the curd. Allow to cool.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove tart shell from freezer, and bake until lightly golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Spoon lemon curd into tart shell, and smooth the top. Bake until filling has puffed around the edges, about 30 minutes. Cover edges with foil, if necessary, to prevent over-browning. Cool to room temperature before serving.

MEYER LEMON CREAM SAUCE FOR SALMON

Steps:

• Season salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook salmon, skin side-up, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn salmon and continue cooking until skin side is slightly browned and fish flakes easily with a fork, about 5 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a saucepan. Press garlic into the butter using a garlic press and cook for 1 minute. Pour in cream and stir constantly for 2 minutes. Add lemon juice and dill. Be careful that the sauce doesn't break.
• Serve sauce over salmon.