Clarified Butter

I’ve recently read a few recipes that call for clarified butter. It sounds so intimidating to make, but guess what? It’s not! And it will keep in your refrigerator or freezer for 3-6 months. Great bonus!

One pound of butter yields 12 oz. of clarified butter. So count on a 4:3 yield

Ingredients:

• 1 Pound of unsalted butter

Instructions:

1. Heat unsalted butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat, until melted. Let simmer gently until foam rises to the top.

2. Once the butter stops spluttering, and no more foam seems to be rising, remove from heat an skim off the foam with a spoon. (The foam can be saved and added to bread dough, polenta, oatmeal, rice, etc.)

3. Line a mesh strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth. Pour warm butter through the cheesecloth into a container, leaving behind any solids from the bottom of the pan.

Note: If you (accidentally) continue to cook the butter in step 2 until it is nutty brown, it is delicious with or without the foam on vegetables, chicken, fish and pastas.