Cooking Class: How to Make Brown Butter

Brown butter, also known as beurre noisette, has a rich, nutty and caramel depth of flavor that can transform any recipe. We partnered with Chef Ludo Lefebvre of Trois Mec in Los Angeles to show us how he makes this classic French kitchen staple in his Michelin starred restaurants. But if you are new to the technique, follow our simple steps to ensure perfectly golden brown butter every time.

How to Use Brown Butter

Substitute brown butter for melted butter in just about any recipe where you are looking to amp up the flavor. Try it in your baked goods, like in our recipe for Brown Butter Berry and Pecan Oatmeal Bake, or in casseroles like this Cauliflower and Kale Casserole with Brown Butter Breadcrumbs.

Or use it as the basis in a sauce for pasta, seafood and meats. Brown butter pairs especially well with sweet and strong ingredients, and helps to balance the flavors in a recipe. A classic pairing is sweet butternut squash ravioli with crispy sage leaves in brown butter. A simpler version of these same flavors can be found in this recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash with Brown Butter Sage from our friends at Williams-Sonoma.

Tips from our Kitchen

• Start with at least a stick of butter. Less than that doesn’t work as well.
• Cut the butter into uniform small pieces, about a tablespoon or less, so that it melts evenly.
• Melt the butter in a heavy light-colored large pan (like the sand interior of our enameled cast iron) over medium-low heat. The light color will help you keep watch on the browning progress.
• After the butter melts, it will start to foam and sputter. This is the water in the butter being cooked off. Stir the butter frequently with a silicone spatula or whisk.
• As the foaming subsides, the butter will start to change color from light yellow to tan to golden brown. Watch the butter carefully at this point and continue stirring frequently. Do not walk away from the stove!
• When the butter is golden brown and smells nutty, immediately take the pan off the heat and pour the butter into a heat-proof bowl to stop the cooking. Keep in mind that the pan retains heat and will continue cooking even after the heat is turned off. If you leave the butter in the pan, you run the risk of burning it. You can also put the heat-proof bowl into an ice bath for a few seconds to immediately stop the cooking.
• Brown butter keeps in the refrigerator for about a week, or can be frozen in individual ice cube tray portions for later use. If you are using the butter for baking, allow it to thaw to room temperature before using.