Brown Butter Carrots
One simple step easily transforms ordinary carrots into something truly extraordinary. If you’ve never made brown butter before, do it. It takes no time at all, and the result will forever change your outlook on that stick of churned cream.
What exactly is brown butter? Well, it’s brown butter. And it’s achieved by cooking unsalted butter in a pan until it turns from cream-colored, to light brown, to deep brown. If you’re interested in the chemistry behind it (who isn’t?), I’ll explain more. Brown butter (also known as beurre noisette) is achieved by cooking unsalted butter long enough to turn the milk solids brown while cooking out the water. The result is a slick sauce that’s nutty, toasty, and much deeper/richer in flavor than melted or clarified butter. You need to try it.
Brown butter is excellent on everything. I love how the toasty essence of brown butter compliments the sweetness of the carrots in this dish, but brown butter is equally fabulous over most things – including ALL vegetables, pasta, rice, potatoes, chicken, seafood, steak, and eggs/omelets. Seriously… brown butter and eggs will rock your world.
And the best part is, it’s ONE ingredient that’s been transformed from one flavor to another. This is an excellent dish for you to dabble in the “brown butter game” for the first time because you can’t mess up. After this… you’ll be making brown butter all the time.
Brown Butter Carrots
Ingredients
- 1 pound baby carrots
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Chopped fresh chives or parsley for serving, optional
Equipment
Instructions
- Blanch the carrots in a large pot of boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until the butter turns from golden brown to deep brown, watching closely and shaking the pan to keep the butter moving.
- Remove the pan from the heat, add the carrots and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Top with chives or parsley, if using, and serve.