Clarified butter, definition and preparation

Clarified butter is that which is obtained as a result of a process by which whey is separated from the butter. The result of this process can be appreciated once the butter solidifies, since both components are notoriously separated.

As a result, we get a purer, lighter butter that is used for certain preparations and desserts.

It has been of often use in the Middle East, especially in antiquity where phyllo dough was used in many sweet preparations, and clarified butter is one of its main components. With the passage of time, these butter-rich doughs were substituted by strudel, which is also made with clarified butter, but in lesser quantity. This doesn’t mean that the use of phyllo dough has been completely eliminated.

To attain this result, the butter is poured in a container that can be placed in bain-marie and left until the butter melts (the butter shouldn’t boil). Once dissolved, it is divided into two components, which are the butter and whey.

The container is removed from the bain-marie and left for the whey to sink at the bottom of the container (without mixing), until the butter solidifies. The mixture is then refrigerated for a while.

Once solidified, the lighter side, in this case, the butter, floats due to a physical reaction, while the heavier side, the whey, sinks.

A small orifice is made in the solidified butter so that the whey can be removed.

The previous operation is repeated: bain-marie, refrigeration, and removal of the whey, over again. This makes the butter purer and lighter for our use.

Please take into account that the amount of butter is reduced to almost half after this process.

Once the process is done, the butter needs to be put into bain-marie for use, if the preparation requires it to be liquid.