I wanted to share with you who keeps my gardens going. My plants are full of little insects who are pollinating like crazy or eating bad-for-garden-bugs. They were too busy to notice me snapping shots of them, turning them into internet stars. I have not seen a Praying Mantis in years, so finding him in my lemon verbena and rosemary was exciting for me and my children. I think he is absolutely adorable, don’t you? He looks guilty doesn’t he? As if he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Or is it a she? I forgot to check.
HERE IS WHY I WAS IN THE GARDEN: BUTTER!
While in Boston last week, my cousin brought me out for dinner and the restaurant served perfect Italian bread in cigar boxes, very cute. But it was the butter that stole my heart. It was a chilled butter with bits of rosemary in it, just enough to make you say, “What is that?” I loved it. I recently did a post called Herbinate Your Butter and I wanted to expand on it a little in this post. I liked the rosemary butter so much I wanted to duplicate it but I also wanted to see if I could improve on it. And I did. Boy oh boy did I ever…
Rosemary Browned Butter
2 sticks (1/2 pound) sweet cream butter
1 t. fresh rosemary, chopped fine
Kosher salt to taste
In a small saucepan, over medium heat, heat one stick of butter until the froth subsides a bit and the liquid turns amber. Be sure to stir frequently and do not burn. Pour the melted butter into a bowl, getting all those brown bits too. Cut the second stick of butter into eight pieces and drop into melted butter, add rosemary and mix well until blended and smooth. Salt to taste. Chill until set. Serve with anything savory that you like with butter on top. I had just made flour tortillas, while piping hot off the grill, I smeared them with this butter. Faint. Swoon. Flat Line.
Browned butter is rich and nutty tasting with a beautiful golden tan hue and those little brown bits; heaven.
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Robin Sue
9 Comments
What a great post! I’ve made compound butters in the past and this one sounds just wonderful. I can just imagine the fabulous flavor!
Yum – I would be dangerous with a loaf of bread and that delicacy in my house! How about over a piece of squash – or a potato? Oh my word I have to stop talking about it now!
I do enjoy posts about recipes that I have all the ingredients for. That does look quite good. I’ve got a friend that makes bread, I think I might make some of this for him as a gift. You can never have too much butter for things.
Butter on fresh tortillas is one of the great joys in life. I remember going to the new Disneyland park and they had an exhibit showing a machine making tortillas and across the way they had a place with butter. It didn’t take us long to figure out what to do. At any rate home-made tortillas are a joy and not hard to do, yet another use for a cast iron skillet.
I love brown butter! The smell is just heavenly. I’ve never seen a butter spread that uses it though-it sounds delicious!
Ohhhh.. This looks fun and yummy. I wouldn’t have thought to brown the butter.
I’ve never made browned butter before. I love eating it, I should definitely make it.
hello mr mantis! they’re so freaky-looking, yet i can’t seem to turn away.
meanwhile, great butter–i’ll bet it’d be stellar on some roasted taters!
Lucy- Thanks so much!
Graham- Homemade tortillas are the best and I will post about how to make them next week.
Rindy- I have used this butter on potatoes and bread and tortillas and…
Tanya- It does smell fantastic!
Nicole- Try it some time. Very easy to do.
ThatGirl- Do try it out!
Grace- This butter is great on most things!
We eat herbed butter with grilled steak and pork at summer bbqs. you let it melt on top, yummy. and rosemary is my favorite herb too!