Whenever I want to add depth to a dish, there’s one solution I think of first: Addbrown butter.Brown butter has all the richness ofregular butter, but its deep, nutty, slightly sweet flavor improves just about everything it touches. Once you learnhow to make brown butter, you’ll have the ultimate single-ingredient sauce and possess the power to add dimension to any dish, both sweet orsavory. Drizzle it overfish or pasta, roast veggies in it, or add it tochocolate chip cookies ormuffins.
Before we dive into astep-by-step guide onhow to make brown butter, let’s start with the basics:
What isbrown butter?
Butter is made up of three components:Butterfat,milk solids, and some percentage of water depending on the variety.Brown butter (also called “beurre noisette,” which translates to “hazelnut butter” in French) is made by heating butter until A.) the water evaporates and B.) themilk solids caramelize. After around 10 minutes, themelted butter will be bespeckled withtoasty brown flecks, a sign that the Maillard reaction—a process that gives browned foods, likeseared meat or toasted marshmallows, their complex flavor—has occurred. Those caramelizedmilk solids givebrowned butter a deeper, richer flavor than a pale block of the stuff.
How to make brown butter:
When makingbrown butter, our most important piece of advice is to monitor the pan closely throughout thebrowning process (around 10 minutes oftotal time). To tell when it’s ready, rely less on the clock and more on your senses: You’re looking for themilk solids to darken to agolden-brown hue and anutty aroma to perfume your kitchen. But be warned—brown butter goes from brown to burnt in a blink of an eye. Look away for just a moment and you might end up with a smoky, ashen mess. Follow thesestep-by-step instructions and you’ll be abrown butter virtuoso in no time.
1. Set yourself up for success.
Start by choosing a light-colored, heavy-duty saucepan, which makes it easier to monitor the toasting flecks as they begin to brown;stainless steel works well here, but you can also use a light-colored nonstick or ceramic pan.
As for the butter, you can use salted orunsalted butter—just keep in mind thatsalted butter brands vary greatly in salinity, which will impact the overall flavor of your dish. Starting withroom-temperature butter will speed up the process, but we don’t always have the foresight tosoften butter ahead of time, and that’s just fine. If you’re using butter straight from the fridge, cube the coldstick of butter (to help it melt evenly) and place it in a saucepan. Set the pan on thestovetop overmedium-low heat.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks
2. Simmer until the water evaporates.
Before themilk solids can brown, the butter’s water content must evaporate. The ratio ofbutterfat to water isthe distinguishing factor between American and European butter—American-style butter has a higher water content than its European counterparts. Note that butters with a higher ratio of fat (i.e. less water) will brown more quickly. Depending on the water percentage and theamount of butter you’re browning, the evaporation stage can take 3–5 minutes. Once thebutter melts, it will start to sizzle, a sign that water is leaving the building. Resist the urge to crank your stove tomedium heat or higher: For evenly toastedbrown butter, slow and steady wins the race.
