The Classic 2-Ingredient Sauce You Absolutely Need In Your Culinary Repertoire

Some sauces are culinary kings in terms of taste and versatility. They're fan favorites mentioned countless times across cookbooks, restaurants, and nations. Some sauces, like velouté, have histories dating back hundreds of years and will merit their inclusion in lists such as the exalted French Mother Sauces. But today, we're diving into a classic sauce with much less fame: sage and brown butter. This two-ingredient flavor bomb will knock your socks off and become a valuable addition to your culinary playbook.

So how do you make it? First, you need to know the right way to make brown butter. This process involves cooking down butter until the solids separate and get nice and toasty, imparting that deliciously nutty flavor we all know and love. Yes, it's tedious and boring. No, there aren't any miraculous shortcuts that will brown your butter faster without burning it. (Though you can add powdered milk to create brown butter solids for later use, saving your future self some time and effort.)

As far as the sage part of this two-ingredient recipe goes, always buy fresh. Add your sage leaves when your butter starts foaming and let the two flavors marry as it cooks. The sage leaves will crisp up and impart an earthy flavor to the butter. You use the whole sauce, cooked sage and all.

Now that you've got your sage and brown butter sauce, it's time for the most important part: using it. You're working with a versatile sauce, so don't shy away from trying unique combinations. Sage and brown butter pairs well with chicken, seafood, and autumnal vegetables like pumpkin and butternut squash. It makes a luscious sauce for pasta, gnocchi, and polenta. Try adding a bit to your breakfast biscuits or scrambled eggs to take the flavor to the next level.

And don't think you're limited to savory meals. You can add this sauce to sweet treats, too. Sage and cinnamon are a match made in heaven, so try your sage and brown butter out in this recipe for brown butter cinnamon rolls. You could also elevate a classic brown butter cookie recipe with your sauce, as the woodsy, minty flavor of sage makes for a divine chocolate companion. It makes a great substitute for any dish that demands to be eaten with butter, too, like scones or fruit muffins. Once you've mastered the basics of browning butter and have your own sage and brown butter sauce at hand, the world — both savory and sweet — is your oyster (which, incidentally, also will go great with this sauce).