Clarified butter is alsocalled drawn butter.Simply defined, clarified butter is unsalted butterthat has its milk solids and water removed so all that remains is pure liquidgolden butterfat. The advantages of this type of butter is its longkeeping quality (several months refrigerated) and its high smoke point (can beused in frying without burning).However, it doesn't havethat wonderful rich flavor of regular unsalted butter (since the milksolids have been removed) but it does have a more buttery taste than other oils.To make clarified buttergently melt unsalted butter over low heat until the butter breaks down and threelayers form.The top layer is a white foam or froth (the whey proteins)and should be skimmed off with a spoon. The milksolids will drop to the bottom of the saucepan and form a milky layer of sediment.What is left in the middle is a pure golden-yellow liquid called clarifiedbutter.When you have skimmed all the white foam from the surface of theclarified butter, and it has stopped bubbling, remove the saucepan from the heat.Let the buttersit a few minutes to allow the milk solids to further settle to the bottom,and then strainthe mixture through a fine sieve or a cheesecloth-lined strainer.The liquid collected is the golden-yellow clarified butter (butterfat) that canbe covered and stored several months in the refrigerator. Chilledclarified butter does become grainy. The intensity of flavorof the clarified butter depends on how long you cook the melted butter.If youcontinue to cook the butter once it has melted and separated, the milk solidsat the bottom of the saucepan will start to brown. Once the milk solids turn agolden brown color the clarified butter will take on a rich fragrant nuttyflavor that is called "noisette butter" or "beurre noisette" which is a Frenchname for "brown butter" or "hazelnut butter". (So named because the the butterturns the color of noisettes (hazelnuts)).However, be very careful not tooverheat the butter or it will become bitter tasting. Clarified butter is used inbaking genoise, madeleines, and other baked goods where creaming the butter isnot necessary and you want that distinctive fragrant nutty flavor. Forcooking it is used in making hollandaise sauce and is excellent for sauteeing asit has a high smoke point.
Clarified Butter (beurre noisette) 1 cup = 195 grams
Note: When making clarifiedbutter always start with at least 25% more unsalted butter than the amount ofclarified butter needed, as the volume is reduced during the melting andstraining process. Ghee is clarified butter that has been cooked longer to remove all the water so it can be stored for longer periods (both refrigerated and at room temperature). Popular in India. Can be used for deep frying.
