Black Butter Sauce with Balsamic (French Beurre Noisette au Vinaigre Balsamique)

The name is going to confuse a few culinary students out there. Technically, a "beurre noir" refers to a sauce where the butter is cooked until it turns a very dark brown, almost black colour. I'm using the term "beurre noir," as one would use "beurre blanc," a butter sauce made with reduced white wine, or "beurre rouge," one made with red wine. The technique is identical for these types of sauces, and we just change the name depending on the colour.

2 tsp. butter, melted
1 clove garlic, sliced
⅓ cup aged balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. red chilies, minced
½ tsp. tomato paste
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cold

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat until it foams. Stir in garlic; cook until edges just start to turn golden, about 2 minutes.

Stir balsamic vinegar into skillet, bring to a simmer and cook over medium heat until vinegar is reduced by ⅔ to create a thick sauce, 1-2 minutes.

Stir in chile peppers and reduce heat to low.

Whisk in tomato paste, salt and black pepper. Remove skillet from the heat.

Stir in butter; whisk constantly until the butter melts and is completely incorporated into the sauce.

Makes 2 servings.