Published May 17, 2021.This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Learn how easy it is to make clarified butter and how amazing it is to cook with and use in recipes for sauces.
I believe it is absolutely a foundation necessary to know and put into practice cooking techniques. Learning things like how to saute or how to sear a steak are vital to honing your skills as an at-home cook or chef, and I definitely recommend regularly using them to keep sharp in the kitchen.
Clarified Butter
Clarified butter is essentially purified butterfat with water and milk solids removed. It is the process of cooking whole butter until the only thing left is the butterfat. Clarified butter is fantastic to cook with because of its impressively high smoke point of over 480° Fahrenheit and flavor. It’s also popular to use in sauces like hollandaise and bearnaise.
Is It the Same as Ghee?
Ghee is a form of clarified butter, except the milk solids, are cooked for a longer period of time to help incorporate a nutty flavor into the clarified butter. Ghee has become very popular in the last few years, and it is very commonly used in Indian cuisine.
How to Make Clarified Butter
Follow these simple instructions for making clarified butter
This recipe starts with unsalted whole butter. Remember you want to control the salt content in recipes.
Add the butter to a medium-size saucepot and cook over low to medium heat.
Cook the butter until the froth begins to rise to the top.
Using a spoon, continually skim the froth from the surface until the butter is clear and then remove all of the clear butter liquid except the milky liquid at the bottom.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make this recipe up to 5 days ahead of time.
How to Store: There are a few options to keep clarified butter. First, you can cover and store at room temperature for up to 7 days. You can cover and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 14 days. Lastly, you can cover and keep it in the freezer for up to 6 months.
chef notes + tips
- You can use clarified butter as a substitute for oil when cooking anything.
- Only used unsalted butter when making clarified butter.
- It’s important to keep the heat fairly low, so the butter doesn’t burn.
Recipes to Use It In
- Cheesesteak
- Eggs Benedict
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Clarified Butter Recipe
5 from 4 votes
Learn how easy it is to make clarified butter and how amazing it is to cook with and use in recipes for sauces.
Servings: 13 ounces
Prep Time: 1 minute minute
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Ingredients
- 1 pound of cold unsalted butter
Instructions
Add the 1 pound of butter to a medium-size saucepot and cook over low to medium heat.
Once the froth begins to rise to the top, use a spoon to remove the froth.
Continue to do this until no more froth has risen to the top.
Next, pour the clear butter into a storage container leaving the milky, cloudy liquid at the bottom of the pan.
Store the clear liquid and discard everything else.
Notes
Make-Ahead: You can make this recipe up to 5 days ahead of time.
How to Store: There are a few options to keep clarified butter. First, you can cover and store at room temperature for up to 7 days. You can cover and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 14 days. Lastly, you can cover and keep it in the freezer for up to 6 months.
You can use clarified butter as a substitute for oil when cooking anything.
Only used unsalted butter when making clarified butter.
It’s important to keep the heat fairly low so the butter doesn’t burn.
Nutrition
Calories: 250kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 4mgPotassium: 8mgSugar: 1gVitamin A: 872IUCalcium: 8mgIron: 1mg
Course: sauce, technique
Cuisine: French
Author: Chef Billy Parisi
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9 comments
- Terry
Lobstah!!!! This butters makes it more delicious and it’s so easy to make and store.
- Reply
- Diane
This what I would dip lobster chunks in?
- Reply
no
- Reply
- Angie
Do you need to strain the butter with cheese cloth while putting in the storage container?
- Reply
No
- Reply
- Josephine Graham
Thank you Chef Billy Parisi for all you do to educate those intreated in the culinary arts.Cooking has been my passion from a tender age. You teach the basis of cooking, and as yoendeavors that once you get the basics , it can be applied in general.
Congratulations on yorur new studio,and I wish you every success in your endevors.
P.S You are a great teacher!- Reply
- Deanna Scott
I’ll try this out and put it to good use. Thank you for sharing!
- Reply
- Catrina Watkins
This seems fairly simple to do. Thank you 😊.
- Reply
- Nanette
You are amazing. I look forward to your post. I recently bought Ghee and now, with your help, I can make my own. Keep doing what your doing. Big fan in Texas..
- Reply
