Make Tomato Slices Your Next Show-Stopping Appetizer With Brown Butter

Remarkably multipurpose, tomatoes are essential to a long list of delicious dishes. But there's nothing quite as good as a fresh, in-season tomato straight from the vine. Even people who think they don't enjoy the taste of a raw tomato can enjoy all sorts of prepared tomato dishes — and, speaking from experience, that aversion can often be changed with a truly good, freshly-grown tomato.

Predictably, two great things — butter and tomatoes — go well together, but the elegance of brown butter takes this pairing to the next level, and for minimal effort at that. Served as a simple appetizer with some salt and pepper, or as a light lunch with good crusty bread, tomatoes and brown butter are a divine combination that you'll return to often once you've seen the light.

When regular butter is cooked on a low heat over a few minutes, the butterfat slowly warms enough to start frying the milk solids inside. That caramelization, known as the Maillard reaction, turns the butter a rich brown color (hence the name) with a taste that is savory, toasty, nutty, and decadently delicious. Paired with a tomato, the brown butter elevates the fresh sweetness of the fruit into a surprisingly complex flavor experience that some have compared to buttered lobster. 

For a quick entry into this flavor combo, you'll want the butter to bubble and the solids to separate and turn deep brown. When done, let it cool slightly, then drizzle it atop a freshly sliced, high-quality tomato. This recipe is particularly delicious with fresh, meaty, in-season tomatoes, and another kitchen staple where getting the best can make a big difference is butter. For maximum creaminess and flavor, choose a high-fat butter made from the milk of grass-fed cows. A popular choice is Kerrygold, which further enhances the buttery flavor by only churning during peak grazing season.

Once you have the basics down, you can further dress the toasty, buttery tomatoes to enhance their flavor. Herbs make a great addition, especially summery favorites like basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. For a piquant addition to complement the acidity of the tomato and provide a nice balance to the richness of the butter, add olives, capers, marinated peppers, or artichoke hearts. To add substance and protein, you can serve the tomatoes on top of a butterbean puree, layer them with slices of fresh mozzarella, or top them with tangy goat cheese. If you have leftovers, add them to pasta, pizza, stir-fries, or polenta. So if you're looking for a way to use up a glut of summer tomatoes or elevate a slightly-disappointing winter tomato, simply combine it with some warm, toasty brown butter.