Brown butter bread sauce

This is not your average bread sauce. Deeply fragrant brown butter adds a rich, nutty base, infused with cloves, thyme and bay. The result is a velvety, comforting sauce with a sophisticated edge, ready to become the essential, show-stealing companion to your Sunday roast or Christmas turkey.

This is a rich sauce for special occasions.  The score reflects the saturated fat from butter and full-fat milk, balanced by the protein and calcium from the dairy.
Per 100g serving: approximately 180 kcal, 12g fat, 7g saturated fat, 14g carbohydrates, 6g sugars, 1g fibre, 5g protein.

Equipment

Ingredients

Method

1. Brown the butter. Place the unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Let it melt, then foam. Swirl the pan occasionally. It will begin to crackle and sizzle as the water cooks off. Watch carefully as it turns from pale gold to a deep, nutty brown and smells wonderfully toasty. This takes about 3-5 minutes.
2. Add the milk and aromatics. Immediately pour in the full-fat milk – it will bubble up. Bring the mixture just to a simmer. Add the chopped onion, whole cloves, black peppercorns, crushed garlic, chopped thyme, and bay leaves.
3. Infuse the milk. Let the sauce simmer gently for 10 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat. Cover it and leave to infuse for 30 to 45 minutes. This steeping time is where the magic happens, letting all those robust flavours seep into the milk.
4. Strain and return. Set a fine mesh sieve over a jug or bowl. Pour the infused milk mixture through the sieve, pressing down on the solids with the back of a spoon to extract every bit of flavour. Discard the spent aromatics.
5. Thicken with breadcrumbs. Pour the strained, fragrant milk back into the clean pan. Add the fresh breadcrumbs and place over a low-medium heat. Bring to a very gentle simmer, stirring often, and cook for about 5 minutes. The sauce will thicken to a creamy, porridge-like consistency.
6. Season and serve. Remove the pan from the heat. Grate in fresh nutmeg to your liking – start with a quarter of a teaspoon. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust. Serve warm, in a generous jug alongside your roast.

What can you serve with this

1. Roast turkey or chicken. This is the classic, perfect pairing. The sauce’s creamy, spiced warmth complements the savoury meat.
2. Baked ham or gammon. The nutty, rich sauce cuts through the saltiness of the ham beautifully.
3. Vegetable nut roast. It adds a luxurious, creamy element to a vegetarian centrepiece.
4. Pigs in blankets. For the ultimate festive bite, dip a sausage and bacon wrap into the warm bread sauce.

FAQs for Brown Butter Bread Sauce

• What is bread sauce? Bread sauce is a traditional British sauce made by infusing milk with aromatics, then thickening it with breadcrumbs. It’s a classic accompaniment to roast poultry and game.
• Can I make bread sauce ahead of time? Yes, you can make it up to a day ahead. Cool, cover and refrigerate. Reheat gently in a pan, adding a splash of milk to loosen it if necessary.
• What does browning the butter do? Browning the butter cooks out the water and toasts the milk solids, creating a deep, nutty, caramel-like flavour that transforms the entire sauce.
• My butter burned, what should I do? If the butter smells acrid or the solids turn black, it has burnt. Start again with fresh butter, using a slightly lower heat.
• What bread is best for breadcrumbs? A stale white loaf, such as a farmhouse or sourdough, is ideal. Avoid heavily seeded or malted breads for a traditional texture.
• Can I use dried herbs? Fresh thyme is preferable, but you can use 2 teaspoons of dried thyme. Reduce the bay leaves to 1 if using dried bay.
• Why is my bread sauce lumpy? If lumps form, simply whisk the sauce vigorously or use a stick blender to smooth it out before serving.
• How do I store leftovers? Keep any leftover sauce in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat thoroughly.

Nutri-score Health Check

This sauce scores a D on the Nutri-Score scale. It’s a rich accompaniment.

Positive Factors: The sauce provides calcium and protein from the milk. The onion, garlic and herbs contribute beneficial plant compounds.

Negative Factors: The score is lowered by the high content of saturated fat from the butter and full-fat milk, and the refined carbohydrates from the white breadcrumbs.

Remember, this score is automatically calculated from the ingredients in the recipe and is only a guide. A little goes a long way.