Brown butter is our favorite on asparagus.  

“Brown butter is one of those magical secret ingredients that just seems to enhance the flavor of just about anything – sweet or savory. It has a rich nutty taste and the aroma is out of this world. Even better, it’s a snap to make…

As the butter melts, it will begin to foam. The color will progress from lemony-yellow to golden-tan to, finally, a toasty-brown.  Two things are happening in the process. First, the water in the butter is cooking out, concentrating the butter’s flavor. Second, the butter’s milk solids caramelize, flavoring the butter with their nutty richness and extending the life of the butter.  Once you smell that nutty aroma, take the pan off the heat and transfer the browned butter into a heat-proof bowl to cool.

The milk solids will cook faster and you’ll see them settle on the bottom of the pan like the dregs in a bottle of wine. When you transfer the brown butter to a new container, try to leave as much of this sediment in the pan as possible. You can also strain the butter through a fine meshed strainer or cheese cloth to remove all the particles.

Then again, some people like slightly burnt taste these solids give to the butter! Try it both ways to see what you like.

It’s easy enough to brown just what you need for your recipe, but you can also brown large batches of butter at a single time. It keeps for quite a while in the fridge, or you can freeze it in ice cube trays.

You can use brown butter in just about any recipe that calls for butter, including cookies, cakes, or sauces. We love spooning a little bit over pasta, fish dishes, or even steamed vegetables. It also makes an excellent spread for dinner rolls when whipped together with regular butter!”

Source:  Kitchn –  Emma Christensen

“I’ve been hooked on using brown butter in baking ever since I first made it a few years ago. The first recipe I used it for? To make a brown butter spread to slather on toast. Delicious on its own, and if you add a pinch of cinnamon you get cinnamon bun butter, a spread that tastes like the essence of the best cinnamon buns you’ve ever had.

Which is to say, brown butter is one of those shortcut ingredients to great cooking. It takes any kind of cake to a whole new level of complex, nutty deliciousness, and adds toasted flavors to blondies, cornbread, or even savory dishes like pasta and risotto.”

Source:  Serious Eats