Brown Butter (Beurre Noisette)

Brown butter, known in French as beurre noisette or hazelnut butter, is simply butter cooked past the melting point until the milk solids toast and turn golden. Place butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, swirling occasionally so nothing scorches. It will foam, quiet down, and then release a toasty, nutty aroma with amber specks at the bottom. Pull it off the heat immediately, since it can burn fast. Use it in pan sauces, drizzle over roasted vegetables, whisk into mashed potatoes, or fold into pilau rice. A small pool of brown butter transforms plain ingredients into something deep and complex.