Brown Butter

With its delicious, nutty taste, brown butter enhances both sweet and savoury dishes, and is easy to make. Butter is melted over a medium heat in a pan, preferably with a light-coloured base so the liquid can be checked as it changes colour. The pan is swirled occasionally to ensure the butter cooks evenly. As the butter melts, it begins to foam, and the colour will change from yellow to caramel and finally, brown. Once the nutty aroma is evident, the pan is removed from the heat. The milk solids will have cooked faster and settled on the bottom of the pan, so a meshed strainer is used to transfer the butter to a bowl to cool. It can be kept refrigerated for several weeks in an airtight container. If reheated, a low setting should to used to prevent it from burning. Brown butter adds richness to cakes, biscuits and sauces, and can be spooned over fish, chicken or vegetable dishes.