You'll find a few recipes still call for
what's known as clarified butter. Think crepes for example or
sautéed fish like sole. Pure and simple, clarified butter
is golden, melted butterfat with none of the milk solids that
would cause butter to brown and burn when cooked at high temperatures.
Directions:
1. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat
until it's completely liquid. It will separate into three layers:
a foamy surface, a golden yellow butterfat, and a milky residue
on the bottom.
2. Skim the foam from the surface and discard
it, then slowly pour the butterfat into another container, leaving
the milky layer behind.
Tips:
One
stick of unsalted butter will typically lose about 1 tablespoon
of volume during clarifying.
Clarified
butter will keep, if kept covered and refrigerated, for several
weeks.
