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After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in 2006, Emma Hearst started making a splash in the food world. She opened acclaimed Manhattan eatery Sorella in 2008 with a classmate; was the youngest-ever Iron Chef America competitor at 24 in 2011; and earned a James Beard Award nom in 2012 for Rising Star Chef of the Year. In 2016, Hearst traded fast-paced New York City for a pastoral life in Albany County where she runs Forts Ferry Farm with her husband (and crafts pantry goods for her recently opened store in Hudson, Farm Shoppe). Her new cookbook, Flavors from the Farm, is packed with over 100 homegrown recipes starring seasonal produce.
Recipe: Tomatoes with Brown Butter
Course: SidesCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings15
minutes15
minutes30
minutesWhen asked my favorite way to serve slicer tomatoes, I always reply, “with brown butter, black pepper, and salt.” There is something about the nuttiness of brown butter that takes peak-season tomatoes to a whole new level. Our favorite tomatoes to serve this way are classified as brown tomatoes, which tend to have a meatier, more robust, umami-forward taste than green, red, or orange types. A seed called Paul Robeson has been a favorite to plant since our first year, and when combined with a decadent drizzle of brown butter, it takes on a mystical, toasty flavor. To dress this dish up, apply nothing more than a few briny capers, delicate slivers of shaved sweet onion, a scattering of earthy chanterelle mushrooms, or fresh basil.
Ingredients
8–10 Tbsp. butter
1–2 dashes sherry vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4–6 slicer tomatoes
Maldon salt
Baguette or toast, for serving
Directions
- In a sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat. At first the butter will begin to rise and foam and then water will begin to evaporate, allowing the milk solids to darken. Watching closely, continue to cook the butter until it becomes dark brown and smells nutty. Then add the vinegar, a pinch of kosher salt, and a few cracks of pepper, stir, and remove from the heat. Set the pan aside in a warm place so the butter remains a warm liquid.
- Before serving, slice the tomatoes about ⅓-inch thick and arrange them on a platter or individual plates. Bring the platter or plates to the table, drizzle the warm brown butter over the top, and finish with a sprinkle of Maldon salt. Apply any additional finishing touches (see headnote) and cracks of pepper. Eat the tomatoes right away while the butter is still hot. Mop up the remaining fatty juice with great bread.
