Adding butter to dishes not only adds flavour, but helps with the caramelisation process in cooking. Remember, butter burns quite quickly so keep some lemon juice on stand-by.  

Why it works 

Caramelisation is a cooking reaction that intensifies flavour. It also adds a hint of nutty sweetness that compliments savoury dishes very well. 

Our forever-favourite finish to just about any dish is browned butter. “Browning” butter is the process of heating it in a frying pan until the milk solids begin to brown. The butter will bubble away until a layer of foam rises from the pan, and under it the butter turns into a perfect golden colour. 

At this point, a generous squeeze of lemon juice is added to the pan to stop it from cooking further, and the butter is transferred to a heatproof bowl. Once the lemon is added, the butter will sizzle and puff up in its reaction, so make sure that you use a large enough pan and bowl to allow for this change. 

The flavour of browned butter is gorgeously nutty and warm, giving both baked goods as well as savoury sauces or roasts so much more to talk about! 

Swap out regular melted butter for browned butter in bakes such as chocolate chip cookies or banana bread. You can also use it as a finishing drizzle over various foods such as steaks, pasta, seafood or vegetable dishes. 

Styling: Sjaan Van Der Ploeg
Photographs: Zhann Solomons 

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