Brown Sage Butter

🧺 Ingredients (serves 4)

• 100g unsalted butter 🧈

• A small handful of fresh sage leaves (about 10–12) 🌿

• Pinch of sea salt 🧂

• Optional (for extra flair):

  • Zest of ½ lemon 🍋

  • Sprinkle of chilli flakes 🌶️

  • A few crushed toasted hazelnuts or pine nuts 🥜

🔥 Method

1. Melt the butter

   • Place the butter in a light-coloured pan (so you can see it change colour) over medium heat.

   • Let it melt slowly, stirring occasionally.

2. Add the sage 🌿

   • Once the butter’s melted & starting to foam, add your sage leaves.

   • They’ll sizzle — fry for 1–2 minutes, until they go crisp & fragrant.

3. Brown the butter

   • Keep swirling the pan — you’ll see the milk solids at the bottom start to turn golden brown & smell nutty (this is the magic bit!).

   • Don’t walk away — it can burn quickly.

4. Finish & serve

   • Remove from heat, add a pinch of salt, & swirl in lemon zest or chilli if using.

   • Spoon straight over your pasta or ravioli while it’s hot.

💡 Chef’s Tips

• The key is timing — golden brown is perfect; dark brown is too far.