Given the range of artisan, hand-rolled butters now available in our markets, you'd think that butter just can't get any better.
But try browning it, and the good becomes great! In French, beurre noisette translates to hazelnut butter and, just like those nuts, browned butter is barely sweet and hauntingly rich. It's a deep ruddy gold color, profoundly earthy, and when you whisk in a splash of acid — lemon juice or wine or vinegar — its flavor sharpens to become an unctuous sauce for fish, chicken, vegetables, rice and pasta.
The defining toasty flavor of browned butter is the result of caramelizing the butter's milk solids. Once the butter is melted, these nubs of protein, sugar and minerals rise in a frothy layer and then sink to the bottom of the pan, where they brown with the heat. (The clear liquid that remains on top is clarified butter, useful in Indian cooking, but that's another story.)
Just as toasting white bread transforms its flavor, browning butter makes an incredible difference in its color and taste. The darker the butter becomes, the more potent that nutty flavor. But it can also burn in a flash, so watch it carefully and listen, too. When it you hear a sizzle, the moisture has boiled off and the milk solids are beginning to darken.
When the color becomes a deep, dark gold, it's important to stop the cooking so the butter doesn't burn. Do this by whisking in a splash of cool acid, or by simply pouring the browned butter into a cold container. It will store nicely in the refrigerator, ready to use as a substitute for sweet butter in both savory and sweet recipes. Because of its complex and heady flavor, you don't have to use as much browned butter as you might the sweet variety to enrich a dish.
Browned butter, paired with roasted lemon, is especially good with fish. Something magical happens to lemons when roasted in the oven — their sugars rise to the surface, slightly browning, sweetening and softening the rind. These store for at least a week in a covered container in the refrigerator.
As long as I'm browning butter and roasting lemons, I like to make a little extra of each to have on hand. The duo is especially good on roast lamb and pork, mashed sweet potatoes and roasted vegetables, and it's truly terrific on salmon, enhancing the gamey essence of this deliciously rich and meaty fish.
Beth Dooley is the author of "In Winter's Kitchen." Find her at bethdooleyskitchen.com.
