Clarified Butter
I never really understood the purpose in clarifying butter. Until a recipe I was making called for it. I had to look up the how and the why. Wikipedia Rocks! Clarified butter has a higher smoke point, which makes it great for sauteing vegetables or fish. And it has a longer shelf life than fresh butter.
So, I was making Potato Crusted Tilapia with Buerre Blanc Sauce and it called for the fish to be cooked in clarified butter. From what I read you have to start with more solid fresh butter than what you're going to need at the end.
We're going to be channeling Paula Deen here a little with all this butter! But that's never stopped me before! Starting with two stickes of unsalted butter in a pan set on low heat until it is melted.
The milk solids sink to the bottom and some water evaporates and the rest of the solids float to the top which need to be skimmed off.
Stretch a piece of cheese cloth over a bowl then gently pour the butter through the cloth straining out any other solids.
And what you're left with is clear more shelf stable butter with a higher smoke point! Whoo hooo. Now what?
Check back soon and I will show you one thing I did with it.