Butter | Saveur

Lidnivikis

Jenn Louis — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:44:51 +0000

Photography by Linda Xiao; Food Styling by Jessie YuChen

These old school Polish pancakes are lighter, fluffier, and cheesier than the batter-based standard. The batter—really more of a dough made from cottage cheese and egg barely bound together with flour—is sliced into rounds and baked, rather than cooked in a pan. Be careful not to overwork it when adding flour; the pancakes should be fall-apart tender.

Featured in: “Old School Pancakes So Good They Don’t Need a Pan.”

Yield: 5–7

Time: 45 minutes

2 cups cottage cheese (about 1 lb.)
3 large eggs
1½ cups (7½ oz.) all-purpose flour, divided
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Fresh dill and sour cream, for serving

Instructions

Heat the oven to 350°F; position two of the racks in the top and bottom third of the oven. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together the cottage cheese and eggs. Stir in 1 cup of the flour, the baking powder, and salt. Lay a second large rectangle of parchment paper on a clean work surface and sprinkle the remaining ½ cup flour lengthwise down the center. Pour the batter over the flour in an approximately 12- by 2½-inch log, then lift the long sides of the parchment to roll the log back and forth over the parchment until it’s evenly coated in flour (the dough will be very wet and soft). Using a knife, cut the log crosswise into ten 1½-inch thick rounds; using the side of your knife for help, quickly transfer the rounds to the lined baking sheets cut-side-up and spaced at least 2 inches apart.
Bake, rotating the baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through cooking, until lightly browned on the bottom and set in the middle, about 20 minutes.
Using a thin, offset spatula, transfer the pancakes to a plate or serving platter. Pinch off small knobs of butter with your fingers and place over each pancake. Sprinkle with dill and serve hot with sour cream on the side.

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Icelandic Rhubarb Bars

Benjamin Kemper — Mon, 08 May 2023 20:49:46 +0000

Photography by Belle Morizio; Food Styling By Jessie YuChen; Prop Styling By Kim Gray

People flock to Brauð & Co.—one of Reykjavik’s busiest bakeries—for the crackly sourdough bread, but on a recent visit, it was a different baked wonder that (sorry, couldn’t resist) took the cake. I’m talking about hjónabandssæla, or “happy marriage cake,” essentially Icelandic rhubarb bars that fall somewhere between a fruit crumble and an oatmeal cookie. They have three layers: a soft, oaty crust on the bottom; a crisp streusel up top; and a middle oozing with rhubarb compote that acts as a sweet, sticky mortar, binding the pastry together. Cooked rhubarb can be rather beige; to amp up the fuchsia, add a chunk of red beet to the pan with the rhubarb (don’t worry, it won’t impart any flavor).

Note: The butter quantities (converted from metric, hence the odd numbers) are correct—these are some boldly buttery bars!

Yield: 10-20

Time: 2 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

For the rhubarb:

1½ lb. rhubarb, sliced into 1-in. lengths, divided (about 2 cups)
½ cup turbinado sugar
Pinch salt
Two 2-in. pieces of red beet, optional (see headnote)

For the crust:

2¾ cups all-purpose flour
2½ cups quick oats
2 tsp. baking soda
1½ cups turbinado sugar
1¼ tsp. kosher salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
27 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed

For the crumble:

1 Tbsp. whole milk
2 egg yolks
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1¼ cups light or dark brown sugar
18 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed
1¼ cups quick oats
1 cup rolled oats

Instructions

Make the rhubarb: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. In a pie plate or 8-by-8-inch baking pan, toss the rhubarb, sugar, salt, and beet if using. Bake until the rhubarb is soft and spreadable, stirring halfway through baking, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Discard the beet. (Leave the oven on.)
Meanwhile, make the crust: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, quick oats, and baking soda. To a food processor, add the salt, sugar, and eggs and blend until combined, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and pulse to combine, then scatter with the butter and pulse until the dough is uniform and no butter pieces are visible. Transfer three quarters of the dough to a greased 9-by-13-inch sheet pan and press into an even layer. Scrape the remaining dough into a bowl and set aside. (Do not clean the food processor.)
Make the crumble: In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and yolks and set aside. To the empty food processor, add the flour, brown sugar, butter, quick oats, and rolled oats and pulse until a crumbly, shaggy mass forms.
Assemble the rhubarb bars: Turn the oven to 325°F. Spoon the rhubarb and its juices in an even layer atop the dough, then sprinkle the remaining dough evenly over the top. Drop the crumble in large, irregular chunks over all, then brush evenly with the yolk mixture.
Bake until the rhubarb bars are firm and lightly browned on top, about 40 minutes. Cool to room temperature before cutting into squares (as large or as small as you like).

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The Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich

SAVEUR Editors — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:50:18 +0000

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BELLE MORIZIO; FOOD STYLING BY LAURA SAMPEDRO

The secret to making a perfect grilled cheese sandwich is cooking it over low heat, which brings out the subtle flavors of a cheese. Nutty and complex Comté, made in the Jura region of the French Alps, is great for grilling; if you can’t find it, Gruyère is a suitable substitute. Slathering the bread liberally with butter helps the bread crisp evenly in the pan.

This recipe first ran alongside Cara De Silva’s 2009 article, “The Real Thing.”

Yield: 2

Time: 30 minutes

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
Four ½-in. thick slices sourdough bread
2⅓ cup (8 oz.) coarsely grated Comté cheese

Instructions

Spread the butter evenly on both sides of each slice of bread. Put half of the cheese on one slice and half on another. Top each with remaining bread slices.
Heat a large cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-low heat. Add the sandwiches and cook, flipping once, until golden brown and crusty on both sides, 18–20 minutes. Transfer the sandwiches to a cutting board, cool slightly, then slice them in half and serve warm.

The post The Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich appeared first on Saveur.

Blanquette de Veau

SAVEUR Editors — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:40:09 +0000

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BELLE MORIZIO; FOOD STYLING BY CHRISTINE ALBANO; PROP STYLING BY CARLA GONZALEZ-HART

This classic French dish of delicate veal, cream, carrots, mushrooms, and butter (and more butter) does in many ways feel like a blanketed dish—in which nothing is cooked to the point of browning, but rather velveted in a warm and comforting white sauce. Blanquette de veau consistently ranks in the top ten when the French are surveyed about their favorite dishes. Find more of our favorite classic French recipes here.

Yield: 6–8

Time: 3 hours

5–6 parsley sprigs
3 thyme sprigs
1 tsp. coriander seeds
2 garlic cloves
5 black peppercorns
2 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
3 lb. boneless veal shoulder, cut into 1-in. chunks
16 baby carrots, peeled
10 oz. pearl onions, peeled
2 small fennel bulbs, each cut into 8 wedges
10 oz. button mushrooms, quartered
5 celery stalks, cut into 1-in. pieces
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. all-purpose flour
2 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper
Cayenne pepper
Cooked white rice, for serving
⅓ cup crème fraîche
Parsley leaves, to garnish

Instructions

Make a bouquet garni: In a large square of cheesecloth, bundle the parsley, thyme, coriander, garlic, black peppercorns, cloves, and bay leaf; tie with kitchen twine to close, and set aside.
In a large pot set over high heat, bring the veal, bouquet garni, and 10 cups water to a boil; turn down the heat to medium-low, and cook, occasionally and skimming any impurities that rise to the surface, for 30 minutes. Add the carrots, onions, and fennel, and cook for 30 minutes. Add the mushrooms and celery, and cook until the veal is very tender and vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the veal and vegetables to a large bowl; cover and keep warm.
Set a fine sieve over a large bowl, and strain the veal. Measure 4 cups of the cooking liquid into a small pot, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the liquid has reduced by half, about 30 minutes. (Reserve the remaining veal broth for another use.)
Wipe the large pot clean and return it to the stove over medium heat; add the butter and once it has melted, whisk in the flour, and cook, stirring, to make a smooth, white roux, 3–5 minutes. Add the reduced stock and the cream, and bring to a boil; cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thickened and slightly reduced, about 15 minutes.
Return the veal and vegetables to the sauce, and cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, salt, white pepper, and cayenne; divide the blanquette de veau among bowls of white rice. Drizzle each serving with crème fraîche and garnish with parsley leaves before serving.

See all 150 classic recipes featured in our 150th issue »

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Gluten-Free Ham and Cheddar Scones

Lea Schleimer — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 21:50:40 +0000

Photography by Belle Morizio

At Sonoma County’s Farmhouse Restaurant, this gluten-free scone recipe is the base for a range of impossibly buttery, wheat-free breakfast pastries. We love this sweet-savory version, which is generously studded with smoky ham, cheddar cheese, and fresh chives. Rich and moist enough to serve on their own, we also love them with a smear of grainy mustard. Pastry chef Lea Schleimer recommends using Thomas Keller’s gluten-free all-purpose baking blend, Cup4Cup, which is available nationally in Whole Foods or online. If you like an extra-cheesy scone, brush each triangle with cream and top with a big pinch of shredded cheddar immediately before baking.

Featured in: “The Best Christmas Breakfast and Brunch Recipes.”

Yield: Makes 14 scones

Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

3 cups (15 oz.) all-purpose gluten-free flour, plus more for dusting
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp. kosher salt
12 Tbsp. (6 oz.) cold butter, cut in small cubes
1 cup (5 oz.) ham, cut in ½-in. cubes
1 cup (3½ oz.) coarsely grated cheddar cheese
½ cup finely chopped fresh chives
¾ cups half & half

Instructions

Line a small, rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap and set aside. In a large bowl, stir together the gluten-free flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt. Add the butter and, using your hands, squeeze the cubes to incorporate into the dry ingredients until the butter has broken down and the mixture has the consistency of coarse meal. Toss in the ham, cheese, and chives, then, working in two stages, add the half & half, tossing the mixture gently with your hands just until all the dry ingredients are moistened and a loose dough begins to form. Transfer the dough to the lined baking sheet and press down into an even, 1-inch-thick rectangle. Freeze until solid, at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. (If freezing the dough longer than 2 hours, wrap tightly with plastic wrap.)
When you are ready to bake the scones, preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Lightly flour a clean work surface. Retrieve and unwrap the frozen dough and turn it out onto the work surface. Using a large chef’s knife, cut into fourteen 1-inch-thick triangles. Arrange the triangles on the prepared baking sheet and bake, turning once halfway through cooking, until lightly browned along the bottom, about 16 minutes (the scones will still be soft in the center while hot). Set aside at room temperature to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

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How to Make the Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie

Lisa Vega — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 20:49:39 +0000

Photography by Kat Craddock

When I signed on as executive pastry chef at Dandelion Chocolate back in 2013, I knew that certain recipes were going to require special consideration. In order to come up with the very best chocolate chip cookie recipe in the whole world, my team and I took our favorite parts of all the best chocolate chip cookies in San Francisco and piled them into one. We visited our favorite bakeries throughout the city, lined up the eight best cookies, and tasted them all blind. Everyone had an opinion about whether a chocolate chip cookie should be thick and doughy, or crunchy and crisp. How much chocolate should be in it, and how big should the cookie be? We settled on what I think is the perfect combination of crunchy and chewy: crisp on the edges and soft inside. Of course, I like to use Dandelion’s extra-large, faceted chocolate morsels (which are available online), but in a pinch, you can also chop your favorite bittersweet bar (at least 70% cacao) into one-inch chunks.

While the cookies can be baked immediately after mixing, I find that they cook more evenly, and brown and spread better in the oven after the dough has had a chance to rest in the fridge. Also note: Home ovens don’t circulate heat very well when completely filled, so if you have the time to do so, bake the cookies one pan at a time.

Yield: 20 cookies

Time: 1 hour

16 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
¾ cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ plus ⅛ tsp. baking powder
½ plus ⅛ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt
1½ cups (8 oz.) 70% chocolate chunks

Instructions

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F. Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about three minutes. Turn the mixer down to low, add the egg and vanilla, and continue mixing, pausing to scrape down the paddle and the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed, until combined.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then add half of the flour mixture to the bowl of the stand mixer. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are almost fully incorporated, then add the remaining flour mixture and continue mixing, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed, just until homogenous. Add the chocolate chunks and continue mixing just until they are evenly distributed.
Using a large cookie scoop or spoon, divide the dough into twenty 2-ounce portions (a scant ¼ cup each). Roll each portion into a ball, then arrange the balls on the lined baking sheets, leaving at least 3 inches between each one (no more than 7 cookies per sheet). Press the dough balls down to flatten slightly. (At this point, you can either bake the cookies right away or refrigerate the shaped dough for a few hours or overnight.)
Bake the cookies one sheet at a time and rotating the sheet 180 degrees halfway through baking, until they are golden all over and browned along the edges, 14–16 minutes for room-temperature dough, or up to 18 minutes for cookies baked straight from the fridge. Set aside to cool slightly on the baking sheets, then serve warm or at room temperature. Leftover cooled cookies keep well in an airtight container for up to two days.

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Sweet Caraway Scones with Salted Butter and Figs

Majed Ali — Fri, 07 Oct 2022 20:45:01 +0000

Photography by Majed Ali

I never cared much for fresh fruit growing up in Dubai. My mother grew pomegranates, guava, and figs in our backyard and I clearly remember her spending warm summer afternoons looking over her crop, picking only the most perfectly ripe specimens to adorn our living room table.

Back then, I didn’t so much consider fruit to be a “snack.” Even now, I tend to seek out sugary, often chocolate-covered treats over those “healthier” fresh options. I found figs, with their leathery skins and seedy interiors, especially unappealing. Whenever my mom bit into one of her freshly picked figs with joy, I crinkled my nose in disdain.

But Arab moms have a knack for persuading their sons to eat just about anything, eventually. One day, after hours spent playing outside in the neighborhood gardens, I rushed into the house, hungry for a snack. Mom urged me to wash up in a hurry so she could make me a jam sandwich, one of my favorite treats. When I sat down at the table, I was so ravenous I didn’t even look at what was wrapped inside the soft pita she put in front of me.

From the first bite, I was overwhelmed. A deep and figgy sweetness contrasted against a buttery layer; a sprinkling of crunchy seeds shone through all the richness with a distinctly warm and earthy aroma. This was no simple jam sandwich. I gazed up at my mom with wonder and asked what she had fed me.

With a twinkle in her eye, she calmly replied, “Salted butter, caraway seeds…and figs.” I was stunned.

Since then, these three ingredients make up one of my all-time favorite flavor combinations, which I even love to incorporate into—you guessed it—sweet baked treats. If you’re a fig lover (or are on the fence about this magnificent fruit), I encourage you to try this simple yet elegant fig scone recipe. When fresh figs are not in season, feel free to substitute dried ones which have been soaked in warm water or tea for 30 minutes.

Time: 35 minutes

2¾ cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest
2 tsp. caraway seeds, lightly toasted in a dry skillet
½ tsp. fine sea salt
¼ cup sugar
8 Tbsp. salted butter, cut into small cubes
5½ oz. fresh figs, stemmed and cut into quarters
¾ cup heavy cream
2 large eggs, divided
½ tsp. vanilla extract.
Turbinado sugar, for topping (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, lemon zest, caraway seeds, salt, and sugar. Add the cold butter and, using your fingertips or a pastry blender, quickly work the butter pieces into the dry ingredients until it has broken down to the size of small peas. Add the figs and toss gently to coat them in the flour mixture.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream, one of the eggs, and the vanilla. Pour the liquid into the flour mixture, then, using a silicone spatula, fold until a shaggy dough just comes together (do not overmix). (Add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time and no more than ¼ cup, if the dough seems very sticky.)
Lightly flour a clean work surface and turn the dough out onto it. Lightly flour the surface of the dough, then use your hands to shape it into a tidy circle, 8 inches in diameter. Using a long knife, slice the circle into 8 even wedges. Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet, leaving at least 2 inches between each piece.
In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg with a teaspoon of water. Lightly brush the top of each scone with the egg wash and sprinkle evenly with turbinado sugar. Bake until very light golden brown, 16-20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Leftover scones keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

The post Sweet Caraway Scones with Salted Butter and Figs appeared first on Saveur.

Tomato Salad with Scallions and Warm Brown Butter Vinaigrette

Kat Craddock — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 18:17:49 +0000

Photography by Aaron Bengochea

When U.K.-based chef Romy Gill visited the SAVEUR test kitchen a few years back, she taught us how to make and use the spice mixture, panch phoran. The blend of five whole spices—popular in Bangladesh, Nepal, and West Bengal, India—adds earthy, floral, and botanical notes to Romy’s signature turmeric-tinted chicken curry. Since then, I’ve kept a jar of the stuff in my own pantry and I’ve found myself incorporating it into poultry and vegetable dishes more than just about any other blend.

When I heard Romy was going to be back in New York promoting her new book, On the Himalayan Trail, we set a date to cook together in my apartment. In planning what I was going to make, I knew I needed to come up with a dish that spotlighted this beautiful seasoning. Our mutual friend, Nashville chef Maneet Chauhan, uses panch phoran in an incredible, sweet-and-savory tomato achaar, which she served on grilled cheese sandwiches (!!!) during a cooking class at the Charleston Wine & Food Festival. Knowing that Romy planned to make a rich and cheesy main dish, I decided to riff off the flavors in Maneet’s achaar and developed this warm tomato salad recipe.

While traditionally panch phoron is bloomed in oil or ghee, I really love the combination of tomatoes and browned butter, so I didn’t bother with clarifying the fat. That said, if you’d prefer to serve a vegan version of this dish, feel free to swap out the butter for canola or olive oil. In general, tomatoes are best stored at room temp to preserve their sweetness, and for this salad in particular, you’ll really want to be sure that you’re not starting with ingredients with any chill on them, lest the butter in the dressing seize back up. While panch phoran is easy to find in South Asian grocery stores or online, it’s also a snap to mix up a batch of your own. Find Romy’s recipe here.

Featured in: “Don’t Fear the Dinner Party: Toasting Romy Gill’s Cookbook from Home.”

Yield: 4

Time: 10 minutes

2 lb. assorted heirloom tomatoes, at room temperature and cut into bite-sized pieces
6 Tbsp. salted cultured butter
1 Tbsp. panch phoron
6 medium scallions, thinly sliced on the bias
¼ cup champagne vinegar
1 tsp. honey

Instructions

To a large, heatproof bowl, add the tomatoes and set it by the stove.
In a small, heavy pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue cooking, periodically using a wooden spoon to scrape the milk solids up off the bottom of the pot, until the butter is very fragrant and the solids turn a toasty golden brown, about 5 minutes. (Don’t walk away from teh stove; the butter can burn quickly.) Remove from the heat and set aside, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter stops sizzling and cools slightly, 2–3 minutes. Add the panch phoron and stir until very fragrant and toasty, about 1 minute, then briskly stir in the scallions, vinegar, and honey. Pour the warm vinaigrette over the tomatoes and toss to coat. Serve warm.

The post Tomato Salad with Scallions and Warm Brown Butter Vinaigrette appeared first on Saveur.

Start Making Fancy Butter at Home

SAVEUR Editors — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 18:15:36 +0000

This delicious condiment couldn't be simpler—mixing flavorful ingredients like coffee, truffles, or bonito into butter gives you an easy way to add a burst of flavor to everything from grilled meats and vegetables to slices of bread. SAVEUR

Get the recipe for Pepperoni and Chive Butter

We developed this compound butter to accompany a gleaming Grilled Seafood Tower, but it works as well simply tossed with boiled noodles as a simple weeknight pasta dinner. Get the recipe for Seaweed Butter

Chez Panisse Garlic Butter

Set atop a sizzling steak, this restaurant classic melts luxuriously onto the meat. The recipe is adapted from Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse Cooking (Random House, 1988). Get the recipe for Chez Panisse Garlic Butter »

Coffee Butter

Add an extra jolt to your morning toast with this caffeinated spread. Get the recipe for Coffee Butter »

With a little flavored butter in your fridge, anything is possible. Get the recipe for Pepperoni and Chive Butter and Kimchi Butter

Truffle Butter

Truffle butter is an easy, elegant spread to pair with good bread.

The idea for this recipe comes from Christine Buckley, and NYC based herbalist. Rose butter is delightful on toast with cinnamon and honey, or on top of waffles and pancakes. You can bake into sugar cookies or scones, or spread on warm scones or muffins. Get the recipe for Rose Butter »

Seared Scallops with Wasabi-Ginger Butter

After discovering that fresh whole wasabi plants were available in the United States, Adrian J.S. Hale found all kinds of innovative uses for them, such as this butter-rich sauce in which the pungent heat of the wasabi root, or rhizome, is balanced by the delicate earthiness of the leaves for a mild heat and slight bitterness that accentuate the sweet flavor of plump pan-seared scallops. Get the recipe for Seared Scallops with Wasabi-Ginger Butter »

Grilled Corn with Herbed Goat Cheese Butter

Sweet corn grilled in its husk is enhanced by an herbal goat cheese compound butter. Get the recipe for Grilled Corn with Herbed Goat Cheese Butter »

Grilled Lobster with Cilantro-Chile Butter

Grilled Lobster with Garlic-Parsley Butter

Bonito Butter

Austin, Texas, chef Andrew Wiseheart of Gardner uses this butter for poaching vegetables, but it would also be divine on grilled steak.

The post Start Making Fancy Butter at Home appeared first on Saveur.

Brown Butter Makes Everything Better, Including This Weeknight Fish Dish

Kat Craddock — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 17:14:34 +0000

Photography by Jenny Huang

In culinary school, all my teachers told me that I would have to decide: sweet or savory. Regardless of what my classmates and I actually liked to cook or eat, the implication was that our personality traits would dictate where we would end up. Perhaps someone with an impatient disposition and the mouth of a sailor, for instance, would be best suited for working on the line, grilling steaks or smoking ribs. Meanwhile, those of us with a fixation on precision and a flair for the artistic were said to be destined to spend our days sculpting wedding cakes and tempering chocolate in the pastry kitchen.

I was never particularly satisfied with having to choose one over the other, so after a decade of working as a pastry chef and bread baker—and squeezing in whatever savory home cooking I could on the side—I found a way to play both sides, as a recipe tester.

Here at the SAVEUR test kitchen, I relish the opportunity to bring the two approaches together, using pastry techniques in savory applications and vice versa. Fixing a broken ganache by whisking in a drizzle of hot water or milk, just like I learned to do with hollandaise, is always a neat party trick. And while my once-insatiable sweet tooth has dulled after years of cranking out desserts, there are certain ingredients from my pastry days that I love to incorporate into savory dishes. Vanilla adds a sultry sweetness to creamy prawns in coconut milk, while fruity, bitter cacao lends depth and body to Oaxacan mole negro. And brown butter—well, brown butter improves just about everything.

Brown butter has one of the simplest, yet most compelling flavors. It calls for gently cooking high-quality butter until the water evaporates and the milk solids sink to the bottom, yielding a rich, nutty elixir that can be used to infuse any number of dishes. It can be added to sauces or custards, drizzled over fruit before baking, or even chilled back to its solid state and incorporated into cookies or pie crusts.

The French have long used brown butter, or what they call beurre noisette—so named for its hazelnut-like color and aroma (noisette is French for hazelnut)—in savory applications as well. Traditionally served over poultry or fish, the sauce is one of those elegant yet attainable pillars of French cuisine.

I’ve always been fond of the way that fatty, bittersweet brown butter complements more acidic ingredients like peaches and apples. Since it’s peak tomato season at farmers’ markets right now, I decided to add a handful of colorful, barely cooked cherry and grape tomatoes to an otherwise classic beurre noisette, then spoon the resulting sauce over flaky pan-seared cod. It makes for the easiest, most impressive one-pan dinner—here’s how to get each component just right.

Lightly Sear the Fish

Lightly sear the cod on both sides in a mixture of olive oil and butter. Jenny Huang

Start with a mild, flaky white fish—we went with Atlantic cod, but halibut, black cod, or even skate wing can also be substituted here. Just be sure to reduce the cooking time accordingly for thinner fillets.

To prevent sticking, use a large, heavy-duty skillet and a mixture of olive oil and butter to sear the cod. I like this textured stainless-steel pan: the light color makes it easy to see when the butter has fully browned, and the textured interior keeps the delicate fillets from adhering and tearing. A good-quality, unscratched nonstick skillet or even a lighter-weight cast-iron one will also get the job done, but be prepared to rely on your nose when toasting butter in a dark-colored pan.

Let the Fillets Steam

Pulling the fillets off the heat before they’re fully cooked, then allowing them to steam prevents the fish from drying out. Jenny Huang

Sear the fillets until the exterior is just set and lightly browned, then transfer them to a warm plate and cover. The residual heat will finish cooking the fish without drying it out or causing it to flake apart. The brown-butter tomato sauce comes together quickly, so place the fillets by the stove to keep them warm and at the ready for finishing the dish.

Brown the Butter

A pale-colored pan is best for browning butter. Be sure to swirl and stir frequently to avoid scorching. Jenny Huang

Since butter is one of the main flavoring agents in this sauce, use it as an opportunity to break out the good stuff. Look for an unsalted European-style cultured butter—I like the ones by Vermont Creamery, D’Isigny, Kerrygold, Échiré, and Plugra.

Once the butter has melted, be sure not to turn away from the stove—much like caramel, butter can go from perfectly browned to burned to the point of no return in a flash. Wait patiently until you see the milk solids sink to the bottom of the skillet and turn pale golden. As the particles brown, use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape the bottom of the pot, stirring frequently so that they toast evenly.

Sauté the Aromatics

Sweat the shallots and garlic in the browned butter. Jenny Huang

Once the butter takes on that telltale golden hue, add the shallots. The cool, wet vegetable will drop the temperature of the oil and prevent the solids from browning further. Cook until the shallots just begin to soften and lose their raw flavor without allowing them to color. Add the garlic and cook for a few more seconds, once again just to soften and infuse the butter with their fragrance and flavor.

Barely Cook the Tomatoes

Sweet cherry and grape tomatoes are gently cooked just until softened and warm. Jenny Huang

Cut each of the cherry and grape tomatoes in half, both to make them easier to eat and also to encourage them to release their sweet-tart juices into the sauce. Add them to the hot butter mixture and give the skillet a good shake to combine. Cook, shaking occasionally, until the tomatoes soften and just begin to turn jammy.

Finish with Vermouth

Dry vermouth transforms nutty brown butter into a tart, satiny pan sauce. Jenny Huang

A final splash of vermouth brings the juices together and adds another layer of flavor to the sauce. The fortified wine’s acidity offsets the richness of the brown butter, and its faintly bitter, botanical notes contrast nicely against the sweet tomatoes. Cook just long enough to boil off the alcohol (use your nose again), then quickly remove from the heat. You don’t want to over-reduce and cause your silky, emulsified sauce to separate (although if it does break, don’t fret; it will still be delicious).

Once the sauce is finished, spoon it over the fish on a large rimmed platter or a shallow bowl, then add a few parsley leaves for color and freshness. Serve with plenty of crusty bread for sopping up all the juices and a medium-bodied white wine to wash everything down.

Yield: serves 2

Time: 25 minutes

Two 6-oz. skinless cod fillets, preferably “captain’s cut”
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced (¼ cup)
1 medium garlic clove, thinly sliced (1 tsp.)
2 Tbsp. dry vermouth
7 oz. mixed cherry and grape tomatoes, halved (1 cup)
2 tsp. coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley, for serving

Instructions

Pat the fillets dry with paper towels, then lightly season all over with salt and pepper; set by the stove. Hold a large, heatproof rimmed plate under hot running water to warm, then pat dry and set by the stove.
In a large stainless-steel skillet over medium-high, heat the oil with 1 tablespoon of the butter. When the foam begins to subside, add the fillets and cook without disturbing until the fish is lightly browned and turning white and opaque about ¼ of the way up from the skillet, 1–2 minutes. Using a wide, thin metal spatula, gently flip the fillets, then continue cooking until the other side is lightly browned and turning white and opaque about ¼ of the way up from the skillet, 1–2 minutes more. Carefully transfer to the warm plate, cover tightly with an inverted bowl or aluminum foil, and set aside in a warm place to steam while you make the sauce.
Return the skillet to medium-high heat, add the remaining 3 tablespoons butter, and swirl to melt. Cook, using a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan frequently, until the foam completely subsides, the solid milk particles sink to the bottom and turn a deep golden brown, and the butter takes on a toasted fragrance, 2–3 minutes. Add the shallot and cook, stirring and shaking the pan continuously, until it just begins to soften, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the vermouth and cook until the alcohol evaporates, 15–30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and continue cooking, stirring gently without crushing them, until they are heated through and beginning to soften and turn jammy, and their juices are silky and slightly thickened, 4–5 minutes more; remove from the heat. Uncover the fish (it should now be cooked through), and if desired, transfer to a large rimmed platter or a shallow bowl. Pour the sauce over the fish, top with parsley, and serve immediately.

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