Clarified Butter

Clarified Butter Recipe

Sometimes called drawn butter, clarified butter is the liquefied, yellow butterfat that remains after the milk solids and water are removed. As it has a high “smoke point” it’s less likely to burn when frying or sautéing, yet it retains a buttery flavor in comparison to cooking oils. It will also keep for several months when refrigerated.

How to Make Clarified Butter

Sometimes called drawn butter, clarified butter is the liquefied, yellow butterfat that remains after the milk solids and water are removed. As it has a high “smoke point” it’s less likely to burn when frying or sautéing, yet it retains a buttery flavor in comparison to cooking oils. It will also keep for several months when refrigerated.

1 pound salted or unsalted butter

Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat. As the butter begins to simmer, a film of milk solids (casein) will rise to the top while most of the solids fall to the bottom of the pan. After about 5 minutes of gentle simmering, remove from the heat, and let cool for about 5 minutes.

Slowly skim off the top layer of film with a spoon or small ladle; and discard. Gently pour the yellow “clarified” liquid into a container, stopping when you reach the milky, white solids at the bottom (don’t discard these, they’re delicious on cooked vegetables). 1 pound of butter yields 1 1⁄2 cups of clarified butter and can be stored in the refrigerator for several months.

Check out our new cookbook for recipe ideas from our kitchen to yours!