Simple Brown Butter Sage Sauce Recipe

Brown butter sage sauce is the result of natural separation through heat of butter into butterfat and milk solids, infused with fresh sage. The milk solids sink to the bottom of the pan, where they continue to toast, developing a warm, nutty flavor and a golden-brown hue.

Beurre noisette, the French term for “brown butter,” translates to hazelnut butter—a nod to the sauce’s color, which resembles toasted pecans or hazelnuts. In French cuisine, beurre noisette is a basic butter sauce for everything, from vegetables to fish and omelets. You can also incorporate browned butter into many pastries and baked goods.

Browning butter is an easy process. Follow these tips to make brown butter in ten minutes:

1. 1. Cook over low heat. The butter can go from yellow to burnt very quickly, so cook over low heat for more control and keep a watchful eye on the stovetop. If you cook it over high heat or even medium heat, you may accidentally burn the butter.
2. 2. Stir occasionally. Once the butter melts and begins to bubble and foam, stir continuously to ensure none of the milk solids—those little brown bits that appear as the butter melts—burn as they settle on the bottom of the pan.
3. 3. Use a small saucepan. To ensure the butter cooks evenly, cook in a small saucepan. A skillet or large saucepan provides too much surface area, resulting in uneven cooking.
4. 4. Use fresh sage. While dried sage will give you a robust sage flavor, the brittle, fine pieces will muddy the golden color of your brown butter sauce. Plus, the fresh sage leaves add a beautiful and flavorful garnish to any dish.
5. 5. Wait for the color change. Lower heat if necessary, and wait for the butter to become a warm shade of golden brown, with an undeniably nutty aroma. Remove from heat immediately.

Sage brown butter is a flavorful sauce you can add to various dishes. Consider the following applications:

1. 1. Pasta: French brown butter sauce is a popular sauce for Italian pasta. Brown butter, combined with pasta water and an optional squeeze of lemon juice for added brightness and fried sage for texture and aroma, is the ideal simple, minimalist sauce for pasta like butternut squash ravioli, tortellini, or ricotta or potato gnocchi. Finish with Parmesan cheese, toasted breadcrumbs, and a few cracks of freshly ground black pepper for a decadent vegetarian main dish.
2. 2. Roasts: Pour brown butter over a fish filet before a low-and-slow roast in the oven.
3. 3. Side dishes: Dress crisp, caramelized veggies with sage brown butter, or fold the warm sauce into mashed potatoes for additional buttery flavor.