BROWN BUTTER

HOW TO:

This may seem like a slightly obscure skill to master but you’re going to have to trust me, because browned butter may just change your life. I was cornered in a kitchen last year at a dinner party I had catered and ended up in a discussion about browning butter, which turned to a demo because I needed to prove just how simple it is.

It’s the kind of thing that works for sweet and savoury, and both in baking and in cooking. I am a self-taught butter-browner, and with a bit of confidence you’ll be joining me in no time. The key is patience.

Firstly, you want a good frying pan — and probably not a cast iron one, as it’s harder to control the heat. If you have a light coloured one then even better, because you’ll be able to see the colour change clearly.

Secondly, you want a very decent chunk of butter — preferably unsalted, and cold or room temperature. Add butter to pan, heat the element to medium, and get ready to be patient. The butter has to melt first. You need it melted before it can brown. Once melted, it will crackle a little as the milk solids separate out. These are the bits that will go brown. Give the pan a swirl, but remain patient as the butter does its thing. At this point, it will start to smell amazing. Pretty much as soon as the flecks go brown, the rest will too. Swirl and remove from the heat. It all happens very quickly, so keep a close eye.

Before it fully goes brown, it is great to cook a piece of white fish in. It is also great in lieu of regular butter in any baking where you want a richer, more caramelised flavour. It will do wonders to your chocolate chip cookies, and will make your kitchen smell amazing.