How to make Ghee and Clarified Butter (same thing - almost)
Recipe video above. Ghee is a form of clarified butter, where butter that is simmered until the water content is evaporated, then the milk solids are strained out to leave just pure gold butter fat with a nutty, intense butter flavour. It's shelf stable (3 months pantry, 1 year fridge), has a higher smoke point than butter so you can pan fry and roast on high heat without smoking out your house. Chef-secret ingredient, used in many recipes in place of ordinary butter for extra flavour (like Hollandaise Sauce), make pan fried things like Potato Rosti super crispy, and the traditional fat used in Indian curries.
Use a small or medium saucepan or small skillet with a silver base so it's easier to see when milk solids are golden.
Put butter in then let it melt over medium-low heat.
Leave to simmer for 10 minutes - it will start to foam at about 5 minutes, then at 7 minutes most of the foam will be gone, and by the end the foam should be almost all gone.
The ghee is ready when the milk solids that settle on the base of the pan turn golden.
Strain through a mesh colander lined with a single sheet of paper towel.
Then pour into a jar for storage. Keep in the pantry 3 months (firms to peanut butter consistency), or fridge 1 year (hardens like butter).
Using:
Use in place of butter or fat for pan frying, roasting, sauces. The smoke point of ghee / clarified butter is 230°C / 450°F which is considerably higher than common oils such as vegetable oil and olive oil, so it won't smoke and burn.
Use with caution in baking recipes - such as cakes and cookies.
Notes
Scaling recipe up - it will take longer for the water to evaporate after which the foam will subside, fall to the bottom and turn brown. Use a skillet if you can - lower walls = faster evaporation (but don't use one too big, you don't want the butter spread too thin).Scaling recipe down - use a smaller saucepan otherwise the butter will spread too thinly and will be difficult to monitor.