JJC - Recipe for Spinach Salad with Warm Brown Butter Dressing

My recipe came from this site: https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-spinach-salad-with-warm-brown-butter-dressing-210869

Serves 4

• 1/2 pound baby spinach (about 5 cups)
• 1/4 cup shaved Pecorino Romano
• 1/4 cup roasted pecans
• 1/8 cup pickled red onions (recipe: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-quickpickled-red-onions-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-193247)
• 1/2 cup mandarin oranges
• 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (I used a mix of balsamic and rice vinegar - mostly balsamic)

In a large bowl, toss the spinach with the cheese, pecans, and pickled onion.

Heat the butter in a small saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, begin whisking and continue cooking until it becomes light brown and smells nutty, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the mustard, honey, and vinegar until emulsified.

Drizzle the warm dressing over the salad, toss to combine, and serve immediately.

Notes from the recipe author:

• To gauge when the butter is properly browned, I go more by aroma than color. Once my kitchen fills with that deliciously nutty scent, I know it's ready.
• I'm partial to balsamic, but other vinegars, like red wine and sherry, work in the recipe too.