Brown Butter Makes Everything Better, Including This Weeknight Fish Dish
Going to Photography by Jenny Huang In culinary school, all my teachers, to decide: sweet or savory. Regardless of what my classmates and I actually liked to cook or eat, the implication was that our personality traits would dictate where we would end up.
It calls for gently cookery high-quality butter until the water evaporates and the milk solids sink to the bottom, yielding a rich, nutty elixir that can be used to infuse any number of dishes. Lightly Sear the Fish Lightly sear the cod on both sides in a mixture of olive oil and butter. To prevent sticking, use a large, heavy-duty skillet and a mixture of olive oil and butter to sear the cod.
Jenny Huang Sear the fillets until the exterior is just set and lightly browned, then transfer them to a warm plate and cover. The brown-butter tomato sauce comes together quickly, so place the fillets by the stove to keep them warm and at the ready for finishing the dish. Jenny Huang Since butter is one of the main flavoring agents in this sauce, use it as an opportunity to break out the good stuff.
Wait patiently until you see the milk solids sink to the bottom of the skillet and turn pale golden. Cook until the shallots just begin to soften and lose their raw savor without allowing them to color.
Add the garlic and cook for a few more seconds, once again just to soften and infuse the butter with their fragrance and flavor. Jenny Huang Cut each of the cherry and grape tomatoes in half, both to make them easier to eat and in addition to encourage them to release their sweet-tart juices into the sauce.
Add them to the hot butter mixture and give the skillet a good shake to combine. Once the sauce is finished, spoon it over the fish on a large rimmed platter or a shallow bowl, then add a few parsley leaves for color and freshness. In a large stainless-steel skillet over medium-high, heat the oil with 1 tablespoon of the butter.
When the foam begins to subside, add the fillets and cook without disturbing until the fish is lightly browned and turning white and opaque about ¼ of the way up from the skillet, 1–2 minutes. Using a wide, thin metal spatula, gently flip the fillets, then continue preparation until the other side is lightly browned and turning white and opaque about ¼ of the way up from the skillet, 1–2 minutes more. Return the skillet to medium-high heat, add the remaining 3 tablespoons butter, and swirl to melt.
Cook, using a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan frequently, until the foam completely subsides, the solid milk particles sink to the bottom and turn a deep golden brown, and the butter takes on a toasted fragrance, 2–3 minutes. Add the shallot and cook, stirring and shaking the pan continuously, until it just begins to soften, about 1 minute. Add the vermouth and cook until the alcohol evaporates, 15–30 seconds.
Add the tomatoes and continue preparation, stirring gently without crushing them, until they are heated through. Beginning to soften and turn jammy, and their juices are silky and slightly thickened, 4–5 minutes more; remove from the heat.
- Who: Brown
