Directions

Make the herbed browned butter.

1. Choose a small, heavy-bottomed sauce pan; the size you would use to heat up a can of soup. Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the herbs and lemon peels. The butter should sizzle, but not boil violently. Pay attention and swirl the pan or whisk every couple of minutes. The milk solids, or casein, will fall to the bottom of the pan. The water in the butter will evaporate as steam. And the butter will start to turn golden. Watch carefully at this point. Cook only until the butter has moved from golden and is just starting to brown.

2. The cooking process will take about 15-20 minutes with active watching and whisking. Remove from heat. Let steep for another 15-20 minutes.

3. Strain by pouring slowly into a bowl. Leave the cooked milk solids behind in the pan. The butter should be clear and free of particles.

4. The recipe will make more than you need. The extra will keep refrigerated or frozen and can be used for seasoning or cooking potatoes, chicken, pork. It is fragrant and delicious.

5. Check out ‘clarified butter’ on YouTube for visual techniques.

Make the applesauce.

1. Wash and dry the apples. (dry apples will be less likely to slip out of your hands)

2. I peel apples in my hand with a small, sharp paring knife.

3. First, use a chef’s knife and cut the apples in half and then cut the halves into quarters. Then use a paring knife to peel and de-core the apple quarters. Cut each quarter into pieces and drop them into a heavy-bottomed sturdy pot.

4. Alternately, you can use a peeler and peel each apple around its circumference. Use a chef’s knife to cut them in half and then into quarters and finally into smaller pieces.

5. Add the juice of ½ lemon to your cooking pot while you are tossing in the cut-up apple pieces.

6. Add ¼ cup water to the bottom of the pot. Stir in ½ teaspoon kosher salt and place a piece of buttered parchment paper** on top of the apples. (Use the tablespoon of butter held in reserve from above.) Turn the heat to low and cook, stirring often. The parchment paper will keep the moisture in the pot and help to soften the apples without adding lots of extra water. Adding more water will just make your final product too soupy.

7. Cook for 30 -45 minutes or until soft and mushy.

Finishing the applesauce

1. Puree the applesauce in a food processor or strain through a food mill. If you like a more rustic texture, just whisk it to bring it together.

2. If the browned-herb butter has solidified, warm it back up to loosen. Whisk about 3-4 tablespoons of warmed butter into your sauce.

3. Taste and season to your taste with more butter, lemon juice and/or more salt and pepper.

4. Serve warm or at room temperature with roasted pork, chicken or potato pancakes (recipe next week).

Prep and Cook: Browned Herb Butter: 20 minutes

Yield: Browned Herb Butter: about ¾ cup