Whether you feel like your meal needs an extra little something, or you need a super quick and tasty pasta sauce or simple dip, this lemon & butter sauce is a great option! It takes just 10 minutes and 3 main ingredients - lemon, broth/stock and butter - to make it. An incredibly versatile sauce, you can tweak it by adding fresh herbs, garlic, shallots and more.
Optional: Start by gently sautéing a crushed or chopped garlic clove or shallot in a little of the butter for extra depth of flavor. When to add the herbs: I usually add fresh herbs such as basil, parsley or coriander at the end, just before serving the sauce. If using dried herbs or a more hardy herb such as thyme, add them at the beginning with the lemon and broth.Adding the butter: Make sure to use cold butter straight from the fridge. Add it tablespoon by tablespoon, swirling in until fully combined. The sauce will become rich, creamy and slightly thickened.If you'd like to thicken the sauce more, simply add a little more cold butter. Keep the heat on medium low to reduce the risk of the sauce separating (although it will still taste fine if this happens). Variations: Try adding a few capers or chopped olives to the sauce (great with fish), a splash of cream, or a teaspoon of mustard. You can also experiment with different herbs. Thyme, parsley, basil, coriander, dill or Italian seasoning are all great options. Serving suggestions: Serve over chicken, steak, fish or another protein. The sauce is especially delicious if you first cook meat or fish in a pan, then make the sauce in the same pan with the cooking juices. As in this recipe for spinach and feta stuffed chicken breasts. This sauce is also great drizzled over vegetables, served as a simple dip, or even tossed through pasta (add plenty of parmesan cheese and add a little of the pasta cooking water to loosen up the sauce a little).