Butter

Butter is mostly fat with milk solids that turn nutty but burn easily.

Flavor

How to use it

Brown for flavor. Melt until milk solids turn golden and smell nutty, then stop. This takes only a few minutes.

Mount a sauce. Whisk cold cubes into warm pan sauce off the heat for a glossy, creamy finish.

Common mistakes

• Searing on very high heat, where butter burns.
• Letting browned butter go one minute too long, which turns it bitter.

What goes with butter

• Garlic. Butter's milk solids brown nutty against garlic's sweetness, a classic basting pair.
• Sage. Sage and butter create an iconic sauce base with nutty aromas.
• Shallot. Shallots and butter combine for a rich base; butter mellows the shallot's bite.
• Flour. Butter enriches flour with fat, creating tender pastries.
• Potato. Butter coats potatoes in rich fat, creating classic comfort.
• Bread. Butter melts into bread, creating a crispy, flavorful crust when toasted.
• Crab. Butter's fat mingles with crab's natural sugars for sweetness.
• Egg. Butter's milk fat makes scrambled eggs and sauces silky.

Try tonight

• Brown butter and spoon over fish or gnocchi.
• Baste chicken thighs with butter and garlic.
• Swirl into soup right before serving.

Storage

Refrigerate wrapped tightly; butter picks up fridge smells and keeps for months frozen.