Brown Butter

One of the wonderful components of butter is the milk solids, which turn brown as they cook and develop rich nutty, salty, sweet flavors. These flavors enhance the taste of many foods, especially starchy foods. Pasta, bread, potatoes, polenta, and risotto all make a great canvas for the complexity of brown butter. Brown butter is a traditional sauce for lean white fish, seasoned with lemon juice and parsley, a preparation called à la meunière (mew-nee-AIR). The roasted cauliflower owes most of its deliciousness to the butter that melts down through the florets, browns in the pan, and then flavors the cauliflower as a baste. Brown butter pairs perfectly with sweet pastries, creams, and cakes. You can even try browned butter on popcorn. It’s fabulous.