There is a possibility this could become a brown butter fan site. I just love it so much, the deep flavor and crisp nuttiness it adds to anything it touches. And with bright green vegetables it’s a real star. So this incredibly simple treatment for asparagus had a huge payoff – tender, braised spears bathed in tarragon scented brown butter with a sprinkling of extra herb and woodsy hazelnuts create flavor and texture but still let the best of spring asparagus shine through. It’s all enhancement, no masking.
Browning butter is really simple, just use a light colored pan so you see the color change. Pouring the hot butter over herbs infuses it with flavor. Here, I use herbaceous tarragon which I always think adds a little French je ne sais quoi. You can make the brown butter ahead, even by weeks, and keep in the fridge (in fact, I almost always have a jar of it tucked away to add to many things). The water-and-butter cooking method, known as beurre monté, creates a silky glaze while cooking the spears perfectly crisp tender, but you have to start with cold butter hence the chilling. Chopped, roasted hazelnuts complement the nutty brown butter beautifully. In fact, in French, brown butter is called beurre noisette, noisette being the word for hazelnuts, because of that lovely nuttiness. Of course, you could use almonds or pecans and switch up the herbs. And this is a great preparation for green beans as well.
Ingredients
4 Tablespoons (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
6 – 8 sprigs of fresh tarragon
2 pounds of asparagus, trimmed
¼ cup roasted chopped hazelnuts
Flaky salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Put two sprigs of tarragon in a heat proof measuring cup or bowl and keep by the stove. Cut the butter into small pieces and place in a small saucepan (light colored or stainless is best so you can see the butter as it browns). Heat over medium high heat, watching constantly, until the butter is melted. It will start to spit and hiss, then you will see brown speckles appear. Swirl the butter around to distribute the browned bits, and as soon as the butter has an even brown color and a nice nutty smell, pour it over the tarragon. Leave it to infuse the tarragon flavor for about 10 minutes. Remove the tarragon, then transfer to the freezer (quick method) or the fridge (slower method) until the brown butter has solidified (you can do this hours or a day ahead).
- When ready to serve, put the butter cut into pieces and ½ cup of water in a large skillet that can fit the asparagus easily. Heat over medium high until the butter is melted and the water is bubbling. Add the asparagus and cook until the liquid has evaporated leaving a lovely glaze clinging to the spears and they are tender and bright green, turning the asparagus with tongs so they are all coated. If needed, add a little more water and cook until tender. This can take anywhere from 5 – 15 minutes depending on the thickness of your asparagus. While it’s cooking, finely chop the rest of the tarragon leaves. When the asparagus is ready, transfer it to a serving plate and pour over any buttery juices left in the pan. Sprinkle the chopped tarragon and chopped hazelnuts over the top and season well with flaky salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately.
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