Browned Butter – June Featured Ingredient

Most often, Browned Butter – June Featured Ingredient is considered a flavoring and condiment used to enhance the taste of foods. I use this flavorful butter in my baking, adding to sauces and marinades. Created by melting butter until milk solids begin to foam and brown. While the butter is melting, it turns brown becoming nutty in flavor. However, if allowed to turn brown for too long, a burnt flavor can occur. A fine line exists between perfection and disaster, so be careful. Pull your saucepan from heat and pour into another dish to discontinue cooking.

The process of making browned butter takes patience and a careful eye. Preparation of Browned Butter – June Featured Ingredient will take about 10 – 20 minutes over medium heat depending on how much butter you are browning. Whatever you do, do not rush. I suggest making browned butter when you have plenty of time.

Browned Butter – June Featured Ingredient

To make browned butter, place 2 sticks of cold unsalted butter in a saucepan. Turn heat to medium temperature and let butter melt then begin to simmer. If you feel temperature is too high, reduce heat a little if this is your first time. There is no need to be daunted or intimidated by this process, just take your time. After several minutes butter will begin to foam. This is the milk solids which will fall to the bottom of your saucepan. At this point, do not walk away as butter will start to become caramel to amber brown in color. Reduce heat if necessary to prevent burning. You should smell a rich nutty aroma and browned milk solids so remove pan from heat source and pour into another dish. If you do not want to use the browned milk solids, strain in a fine strainer to remove. I happen to like the browned milked solids as I find they add even more depth to my recipes. Let butter cool at least 10 minutes before pouring to an airtight container to store in refrigerator up to two weeks unless using right away.

Browned Butter – June Featured Ingredient

Browned butter can also be frozen for future use and reheated just until melted being cautious not to burn. Furthermore browned butter has so many uses like in sauces, flavoring eggs, vegetables, meats, poultry and fish, let’s not forget about pasta and delectable desserts. Don’t be afraid to make browned butter even more incredible by uniting additional seasonings like herbs, namely parsley, sage or cilantro. Try lemon or another citrus with salt and pepper.

If you’re looking for two easy recipes to incorporate browned butter to try any day of the week, bake up a batch of my Browned Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies or Browned Butter Chocolate White Chocolate Chunk Cookies. Your kids will be in heaven because who doesn’t love a good cookie and it gives you a chance to experiment with this nutty flavor enhancer. Making browned butter is so worth the effort. Click here to read more about browned butter in one of my favorite cooking magazines, Saveur. And don’t forget to share your creations using browned butter.