Plugrá® European-Style Butter has launched its second annual national recipe contest. The winner will receive an all-expense-paid trip to New York City and the chance to appear on a local food show alongside a professional chef.

This year’s challenge invites home cooks nationwide to enter their favorite compound butter recipes.
Compound butters are exactly what the name implies – a mixture of ingredients added to a primary base of Plugrá European Style Butter. Blended butters are actually one of the fastest growing trends in cooking today. Butter combinations can complement any number of foods and even enhance pairings with specific wines.

‘Compound butters are a beautiful way to add a burst of flavor to entrees, vegetables or desserts,’ says Plugrá Chef Trip Kadey. ‘Once people see how easy they are to create and how much flavor a unique signature blend can add to any dish, they’ll be keeping two to three on hand at all times. It’s definitely a wave of the future when it comes to using butter.’

To enter the competition, entrants need to visit http://www.plugra.com and follow the online registration and recipe-entry process. The grand prize winner receives $5,000 and a trip for two to New York City to be on-set and participate in a 2009 episode of a New-York-based culinary show. In addition, 50 runners up will receive a butter bell crock handcrafted by a master potter.

The contest runs through August 31, 2008. Official rules and sample recipes are available at http://www.plugra.com.

See a sample recipe here.