An Extraordinarily Easy Way to Bring Bold Flavor to Your Thanksgiving Table

Herb butter, or compound butter as it's sometimes called, is a great technique to have in your culinary arsenal. The method is simple: you combine a bunch of chopped herbs, citrus zest, cracked pepper, or other seasonings with room-temperature butter and then use the butter immediately or roll it up in parchment paper and refrigerate it until firm.

Once you've made the butter, there are countless ways to use it: massage it all over a chicken's skin and inside its cavity before roasting, dot it onto just-seared steaks, serve with sliced bread or rolls, or slather it on grilled corn on the cob. Or, do as I did with this batch: let it bring major flavor to your holiday turkey by rubbing it all over (and inside) it before it takes a trip to the oven.

This version takes a cue from classic Thanksgiving flavors — thyme, rosemary, and sage — but the recipe is incredibly adaptable; see the recipe notes for more suggestions.

Photos: Anna Monette Roberts