Filet de Tuite a la Grenobloise

Everything's better with butter: It's a mindset that I supported somewhat reluctantly before my stint at the French Culinary Institute. True, many foods are improved with a smear of butter here or there, "but there are other options," I thought. The lady was mistaken.

A key lesson I have learned is that butter is king. It takes every dish from "that's tasty" to "MUST EAT MORE!" And we add butter to everything: one portion of steamed carrots, 3 tablespoons butter; sauce for two, 5 tablespoons butter. We bathe seared chicken legs, filet mignon and pork chops in melted butter over and over until the butter is nutty and brown and the meat is coated with buttery-goodness. No wonder why people who eat out every night get fat. What we're not telling you is that the pork chop you ordered has the same amount of butter on it as an entire batch of brownies. But it tastes so good to be so bad.


Try your own butter-soaked dinner at home. It will transform your go-to fish dish into something Michelin Star-worthy. You can serve this brown-butter sauce over grilled or pan seared fish, or chicken. If you don't consider yourself a sauce master, this is a great, easy way to start.

GRENOBLE STYLE SAUCE

1 stick unsalted butter
1 slice white bread, cut into 1 cm cubes
1 tablespoon capers, drained and lightly crushed (this helps release their flavor more quickly)
1 lemon, cut into segments (juice reserved)


1. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden on all sides, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels; set aside.
2. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in the same saute pan. Cook, stirring, until the butter browns but does not burn, about 3 minutes. Add the capers, lemon segments and reserved lemon juice.
3. Serve the sauce immediately over fresh fish or chicken.