Brown Butter Sage Sauce
A good brown butter sauce relies entirely on your eyes and nose. It is the bridge between a simple pasta and a finished meal, demanding little time but absolute attention.
Control the heat to avoid burning.
Butter transitions from toasted to burnt in seconds. Use a light-colored stainless steel pan so you can actually see the color of the milk solids as they darken.
- small stainless steel saucepan
- heat-resistant spatula
- tongs
What goes in.
- 6 tbspunsalted butter, cubed
- 10-12fresh whole sage leaves
- 1 tspfresh lemon juice
- to tastekosher salt
Watching the milk solids
The butter will foam, then sizzle, then turn quiet. Watch for the tiny brown flecks at the bottom; that is where the depth resides.
The method.
Melt the butter
Place the saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter cubes and swirl the pan as they melt. The butter will bubble and foam as the water evaporates.
Fry the sage
Once the butter is melted, drop in the sage leaves. They will sizzle instantly. Let them fry for about 30 seconds until the edges darken and the leaves turn crisp.
Brown the butter
Continue to cook, swirling the pan constantly. Watch for the foam to thin. When you see amber-colored specks appear at the bottom and smell a distinctly nutty aroma, remove from the heat immediately.
Finish and emulsify
Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice to halt the cooking process. Season with a pinch of salt. Toss directly with cooked pasta.
Other turns to take.
Toasted Walnut
Add a tablespoon of finely chopped toasted walnuts after the butter browns for added texture.
Shallot Infusion
Add one small, finely minced shallot at the same time as the sage to add a sharp, sweet backbone to the sauce.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Keep a small bowl of cold butter nearby; if you catch the browning too late, dropping in a cold cube can stop the heat quickly.
Do not walk away from the stove; brown butter goes from perfect to ruined in less than 20 seconds.
If using salted butter, reduce the amount of added salt at the end.
The ones that keep coming up.
How do I know if I have burned the butter?
If the specks at the bottom are black rather than dark amber, and the butter smells bitter or acrid, it has burned. You cannot fix it; start over.
Can I make this ahead of time?
It is best served immediately. If it sits, the butter will solidify and the sage will lose its crispness.
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