Content

• Steps
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

Dark butter is made by heating normal butter (slightly above its melting point) until the milk solids in the butter begin to darken, releasing a fabulous hazelnut scent. Dark butter can be used in a variety of recipes as a delicious nutty alternative to regular butter. It is easy to prepare if you have the culinary skills, as the process requires a keen eye and accurate timing.

Steps

1. 1 Cut the butter into slices. Cut the butter into tablespoon-sized slices. Use the dimensions indicated on the butter package or just roughly cut. The most important thing is that the pieces of butter are all about the same size. This is necessary so that they melt evenly.
   • Unsalted butter is best for making brown butter and is required in most recipes.
   • Don't worry about the temperature of the oil - it can be soft (room temperature) or very hard (from the refrigerator). You are going to melt it, so it doesn't matter.
2. 2 Place the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Putting the butter slices on the thick bottom of the pot is important as thin-bottomed pans can heat up unevenly and create hot spots - which is bad for the oil.
   • It is also best to use a light saucepan, such as stainless steel, as this will allow you to more accurately see the color of its contents, which is very important when preparing dark butter.
3. 3 Place the saucepan over medium heat. Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir with a whisk. As soon as you start getting in the way, don't stop!
   • It is possible to cook brown butter faster over high heat, but this greatly increases the chances of burning it. To reduce the risk, use a medium (or low) heat.
4. 4 Watch the color carefully. Once the butter has completely melted, it will begin to bubble and foam. This happens when the water evaporates and the milk solids are separated from the milk fat. Then the foam will subside and small brown specks will begin to appear. It is milk solids that begin to darken.
   • Continue stirring the oil while this is happening. This will help the milk solids darken evenly and prevent burning.
   • Once the milk solids begin to darken, you will smell the wonderful hazelnut aroma filling the kitchen. In fact, the French term for brown butter is beurre noisette, which translates to "peanut butter".
5. 5 Remove the pan from heat. After brown specks begin to form, turn off the heat and remove the saucepan from the stove. Continue stirring the oil while the residual heat from the pan continues to darken the oil.
   • Once the butter is a nice amber brown color (about 30 seconds), pour it onto an ovenproof dish to stop cooking.
   • If you wait too long or leave the butter in the pan, the milk solids will turn black and burn off within a few seconds. In this case, you will need to start over.
6. 6 Use in a variety of recipes. Brown butter can be used to add a nutty flavor to a variety of foods. Try:
   • Pour it over roasted winter vegetables (adding a little sage for added flavor) such as butternut squash or potatoes.
   • Substitute it for regular butter in an oil-based sauce.
   • Use it to make brown butter ice cream or brown butter frosting cake.
   • Use it in any cookie recipes that require ghee.
   • The possibilities are endless.

Tips

• Keep an eye on the oil to keep it from burning.
• It is safer to use a relatively small saucepan.

Warnings

• In a matter of seconds, oil can turn from brown to burnt.

What do you need

• Oil
• Pan
• Scapula