This lemon myrtle butter is fresh, fragrant and made for seafood. Flavoured with Australian lemon myrtle, garlic, chives and lemon zest, it melts over hot fish or prawns to create a simple, glossy butter sauce.

Lemon myrtle has an intense citrus aroma that works particularly well with the delicate sweetness of seafood. You only need a small amount to give the butter its distinctive flavour, while fresh chives and a touch of garlic keep it firmly on the savoury side.

Shape the butter into a log and keep it in the fridge, ready to slice over pan-fried fish, grilled prawns, scallops or barbecued Balmain or Moreton Bay bugs.

Watch the Video

Watch the video below to see how easy it is to prepare lemon myrtle butter and serve it melted over white fish and prawns.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Perfect for seafood: The bright, aromatic flavour complements fish and shellfish without overwhelming them.
• Quick and easy: It takes approximately 10 minutes to mix before chilling.
• Useful to have on hand: Keep the butter chilled or frozen and slice off a round whenever you need it.
• Simple but special: It turns plainly cooked seafood into something much more interesting.
• Naturally versatile: Use it with fish, prawns, scallops, bugs, lobster or seafood-friendly vegetables.

What Is Lemon Myrtle?

Lemon myrtle is an Australian native plant with highly aromatic leaves. The dried leaves are commonly ground into a powder and used to add a distinctive citrus fragrance to sweet and savoury dishes.

Although it smells intensely lemony, lemon myrtle doesn’t provide the acidity of lemon juice. In this butter, fresh lemon zest rounds out its aromatic flavour without making the butter sharp or wet.

Lemon myrtle can become overpowering when too much is used, particularly with delicate seafood. This recipe uses enough to make the flavour clear while allowing the fish or shellfish to remain the focus.

Ingredients Explained

• Unsalted butter: Starting with unsalted butter gives you complete control over the seasoning. Allow it to soften properly so the flavourings can be evenly mixed through it.
• Ground lemon myrtle: This provides the butter’s distinctive citrus aroma. Use culinary-grade dried lemon myrtle that has been finely ground.
• Garlic: One small clove adds savoury depth without dominating the lemon myrtle or seafood.
• Lemon zest: Fresh zest lifts the citrus flavour and gives it a more natural, rounded finish.
• Fresh chives: Chives provide freshness, colour and a mild onion flavour that works particularly well with seafood.
• Salt and black pepper: These balance the butter and bring the aromatic flavours together.

Ways to Use Lemon Myrtle Butter

A round of lemon myrtle butter can be placed over hot seafood just before serving. As it softens, it combines with the seafood juices to create an instant sauce.

A round of lemon myrtle butter is delicious over simply pan-fried or grilled white fish. As it melts, the butter combines with the fish juices to create an instant sauce.

Try it with:

• pan-fried or grilled white fish;
• grilled or barbecued prawns;
• seared scallops;
• Balmain or Moreton Bay bugs;
• lobster or crayfish;
• grilled squid;
• baked whole fish;
• steamed asparagus, green beans or baby potatoes served with seafood.

Serve lemon wedges alongside so that extra acidity can be added at the table.

Lemon myrtle butter is also particularly good with hot grilled or pan-fried prawns, adding richness and a fresh citrus fragrance without covering their natural sweetness.

For a richer, umami-packed alternative, try my Miso Butter, which is also delicious with prawns, fish and scallops. If you’re cooking steak instead, my Café de Paris Butter is packed with herbs, capers, Dijon and spices.

Storage

Wrap the lemon myrtle butter tightly and store it in the refrigerator for up to one week.

For longer storage, slice the chilled log into rounds and freeze them in an airtight container for up to two months. Place baking paper between the rounds to prevent them from sticking together.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does lemon myrtle taste like?

Lemon myrtle has an intense citrus aroma with a slightly herbal quality. It tastes fragrant rather than acidic, so it doesn’t replace the sharpness of fresh lemon juice.

Can I use salted butter?

Yes. Omit the added salt initially, then taste the butter and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Can I add more lemon myrtle?

Lemon myrtle varies in strength, so taste the butter after it has rested. If necessary, add another one-eighth of a teaspoon at a time. Too much can overwhelm delicate fish and shellfish.

Why should the butter rest before it is chilled?

Resting gives the dried lemon myrtle time to release its fragrance into the softened butter. It also allows you to taste the complete flavour before shaping and chilling it.

Should I cook the seafood in the lemon myrtle butter?

This butter is best added at the end of cooking or placed over the hot seafood before serving. Garlic, chives and lemon myrtle can burn if exposed to intense heat for too long.

What fish works best with lemon myrtle butter?

Mild white fish such as snapper, flathead, ling or blue-eye works particularly well. The butter can also be served with salmon, although its flavour will be more subtle against the richer fish.

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Final Thoughts

Lemon myrtle brings something genuinely different to this compound butter. Its aromatic citrus flavour feels fresh and distinctive, while garlic, chives and lemon zest make the butter savoury enough to pair beautifully with seafood.

Keep a log in the fridge or freezer and slice off a round whenever you are cooking fish, prawns or shellfish. As it melts over the hot seafood, it creates an effortless sauce with very little extra work.

If you enjoy discovering different ways to serve seafood, my Oysters with Finger Lime Dressing pair another native Australian ingredient with fresh local seafood.