There’s nothing quite like browned butter to elevate simple ingredients. Its nutty, toasted flavor  is elegant, yet reassuring. Browning butter is relatively simple to do, and it plays nicely with a number of ingredients. 

Here’s how to do it:

Browned Butter:

Ingredients

Butter (For your first time, I’d try this with about 4 tbsp, but you could make any amount.)

A pinch of salt

In a saucepan, heat the butter over low to medium-low heat. Stir it occasionally as it starts to foam.

Small brown solids will start to form after several minutes. Incorporate those into the sauce as they appear.

Continue cooking until the butter turns a light brown toasted color.  Keep a close eye on it, because the butter can easily turn black and burn. Remove from the heat and add a pinch of salt.

Ideas for Browned Butter

• Serve with store-bought stuffed pastas.
• Toss sautéed apples or pears in the mixture with a teaspoon of cinnamon.
• Toast nuts in the butter and then, stir them in cooked rice. (This is a trick I picked up from Cooking Light.)
• Try tossing cooked vegetables in the sauce, such as green beans.
• Top scallops with it or serve over fish.