I swear I don’t run a daycare but today I had kids all over the place. Coming out of the woodwork. You turn a corner, gah! There’s another one. It’s like they multiply when you throw water on them. After all the kids left (or duked it out to the last kid standing in the backyard, I’ll let you decide), I was kind of pretending to clean up, when this happened: I’m not sure what to exclaim about first, the fact that I ate an unknown food item found on the counter of my bathroom, or the fact that SOUR RAISINS EXIST. Like Sour Patch Kids. Except they’re raisins. MIND BLOWN. It’s pretty fancy-feeling too, I mean come on, doesn’t it sound like a hoity-toity restaurant meal? Brown-butter, blah, blah, this recipe title is too long for me to even make it through without rolling my eyes. At least that’s basically what my brother Nate told me when I asked him to help me name it. “Karen, no one except you even knows what brown butter IS.” Well guys, I think you know by now that I am basically a brown butter missionary. I’M NOT SORRY.
What flavor does brown butter add?
The flavor of brown butter is nutty and rich. It’s amazing in savory and sweet dishes alike.
Can you brown butter too long?
Yes, you definitely can–and at that point it’s no longer brown butter, but burned butter. When you heat butter in a pan past the point of melting, the butter solids begin to separate from the liquids. First, you’ll hear lots of hissing, sizzling, and popping. The butter will look foamy, and you won’t be able to see down to the bottom of the pan. When the hissing and sizzling stops, that means your butter is browned! Tilt the pan to the side and you’ll see that some of the butter is brown. It will smell rich and nutty. You should remove it from the heat immediately or it WILL burn. Preferably, you’ll actually pour it into a bowl so that it will stop cooking.
Substitutions and variations
If you don’t have gnocchi on hand, but still want to get into these brown butter flavors, you can substitute another type of pasta. Simply cook it according to package directions and add as you would the gnocchi. If you don’t have a shallot, you can substitute ¼ cup of red onion. You can substitute shredded Romano Pecorino cheese for the Parmesan.
How to make the Brown Butter Sauce for Gnocchi and Asparagus
I definitely don’t recommend freezing it as asparagus, gnocchi, and crisped prosciutto will all have major textural issues after defrosting. Easy Caramelized Gnocchi with Cherry Tomatoes and Mozzarella « there’s something special about gnocchi…these are caramelized. Honey Salmon with Brown Butter Lime Sauce: « my favorite way to eat salmon! Pan Seared Scallops with Sauce « now this one REALLY turns up the romance. Champagne sauce, tender scallops, pasta…and bacon (because of course). Crispy Gnocchi with Basil Pesto from Two Peas and Their Pod Ham and Cheese Gnocchi from Kevin and Amanda Loaded Chicken Alfredo Gnocchi Bake from Inside BruCrew Life Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram
