Clarifying Butter
Clarified butter is a delightfully rich concentrated butter that can be used in cooking and making mouth watering sauces. Traditional methods for making this rich butter concentrate can be a little intimidating at first, but not anymore. There is a very simple and easy 4 step method to make clarified butter. The only catch is that you need to plan a day ahead of time.
The first step is to slowly melt one to two sticks of unsalted butter over low heat. Using unsalted butter will help to prevent your final product from being too salty. When the butter is completely melted pour it into a bread pan.
After you have transferred the melted butter to the bread pan, loosely cover the bread pan with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to cool over night.
The next day when the butter has completely cooled you will see that the butter has separated into three layers. The top layer is white and creamy looking, the middle layer is the clarified butter, and the bottom layer is the watery liquid that has been separated out of the butter.
The second step is to use a spoon scrape off the top white layer. Discard this layer.
Third use a tooth pick or a skewer to poke several holes in the remaining butter. Be sure to reach all the way to the bottom of the bread pan.
The fourth and final step is to pour off the liquid on the bottom of the pan. What remains is a rich and delectable clarified butter.
Shauna Hanus is a gourmet cook who specializes in creating gourmet meal plans. She has extensive experience cooking with easy to find grocery items to create delightful gourmet meals. She is also the publisher of a no cost bi-monthly gourmet newsletter. Her newsletter is always fun and informational packed with tips and trivia you can use everyday. http://www.gourmayeats.com