Test Kitchen tips: Brown butter for flavoring

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To give your dishes a little added depth and richness, you might consider adding browned butter.

Browned butter (known in French as beurre noisette) works wonderfully in both sweet and savory recipes, whether you drizzle it over sauteed vegetables or fish, or fold it into cake batters or fudge. It can give a dish a little added complexity with its rich nuttiness when you’re looking to enhance mashed potatoes, and is a perfect finishing touch for sauces, such as when you want to add some dimension to a sweet doughnut or cake glaze (as with the maple brown butter glaze, pictured at top).

To brown butter, melt unsalted butter in a wide, shallow pan over medium heat, and cook until the water evaporates and the butter solids turn a rich golden-brown (they will sink to the bottom of the pan). Whisk or stir the butter freqeuntly as it cooks so it browns evenly. Use immediately, or cool and chill until needed.

If you have any kitchen tips or questions you’d like me to explore, leave a comment below or shoot me an email at noelle.carter@latimes.com.

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-- Noelle Carter
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