Give Garlic Butter A Tangy Edge With One Simple Addition

Garlic and butter, while superstar ingredients on their own, are hard to beat when they combine forces. The sharpness of the raw garlic is tempered by the sumptuous richness of the butter, while still infusing it with savory notes that transform butter from indulgent to gourmet. Garlic butter is delectable all on it's own, but adding herbs, salt, and other savory elements is always a good idea. Along with our tips for making the best garlic butter, we have one more trick to add to your repertoire, and that's to introduce pepperoncini brine into your recipe. 

They may look incredibly similar, but there is a difference between pepperoncini and banana peppers. Pepperoncini are a mild pepper native to Italy, which have been pickled in a tangy brine. The peppers are only mildly spicy, and are popular in both Italy and Greece as they're featured in many Mediterranean dishes. Of all of our creative ways to use leftover pepperoncini juice, however, making a tangy garlic butter might just be the best of them. 

Some recipes call for melting butter on the stovetop and adding in the garlic to gently cook. But, you can simply let the butter sit at room temperature for about an hour to soften, then mix in the garlic and a tablespoon of pepperoncini brine, before placing everything in plastic wrap and rolling into a log to chill. 

Since the brine can be salty, use unsalted butter, and ideally, European options (or butters with a high percentage of butterfat) to yield the best results. For those looking for a hint of spicy tartness, use only the juice from the pepperoncini jar. If you're seeking more of a tangy kick, you can chop up the peppers finely and incorporate them along with the brine — just be sure to discard any seeds beforehand. Should you go the route of melting the butter, let the mixture cool before adding in pepperoncini bits so they stay crisp and pungent.

Feeling fancy? Roast a head of garlic so it becomes soft and sweet prior to combining it with butter and pepperoncini brine for deliciously balanced flavors. For an extra smooth garlic butter, use only the brine and grate the garlic on a microplane so that the ingredients melt into the butter and disperse more evenly.

Pepperoncini garlic butter is delicious to slather on corn or grilled chicken. It would also make an excellent topping for a juicy steak sliced over a Mediterranean salad. Otherwise, spread it on bread before toasting to make a kicked-up garlic bread to serve with shrimp scampi or even mussels cooked in a buttery broth, to which you could also add a pat of pepperoncini garlic butter.