Recipe

Nori Butter

by Sasha Marx

As previously stated, butter is awesome on its own. Sometimes, though, it’s fun to give butter an extra flavor boost by adding an ingredient or two to make a compound butter (a classic example is the steakhouse staple maître d’hotel butter, which has the additions of parsley, lemon juice, salt, and pepper). For this recipe we take finely ground nori, the sushi staple (and the most readily available form of seaweed at the supermarket), and mix it into softened butter along with a little kosher salt. The nori adds tons of savory depth but is mild enough that the butter remains incredibly versatile. Try it for butter-basting meat and seafood, melted as drawn butter for shellfish, tossed with pasta, or just spread on a piece of bread. For the full scoop on all things seaweed, check out our feature story, “In the Weeds”

Photography by Steve Klise
Food Styling by Marie Piraino

Yield
Makes about ½ cup (115 grams)
Ingredients
112 g unsalted butter, softened
2 g nori powder
0.75 g kosher salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons nori powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Essential Equipment
Instructions
    • 112 g unsalted butter, softened 
    • 2 g nori powder 
    • 0.75 g kosher salt
    Using fork, thoroughly combine butter, nori powder, and salt in small bowl. Serve nori butter smeared on crusty bread or tossed with pasta, or use it to butter-baste a steak. Nori butter can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 2 weeks. 
Instructions
    • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 
    • 2 teaspoons nori powder 
    • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
    Using fork, thoroughly combine butter, nori powder, and salt in small bowl. Serve nori butter smeared on crusty bread or tossed with pasta, or use it to butter-baste a steak. Nori butter can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 2 weeks. 
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