Butter

Question 1

Why is butter’s smoke point so low?

Answer 1

Problem is the proteins. Butter is made of 3 main components: fat, water, and milk solids, which is where proteins are found. When butter melts, water evaporates, and solids, having nowhere else to go, break down and burn. They make up less than 5 percent of butter, but can ruin a dish.

Question 2

What is the goal of butter clarification?

Answer 2

You’re trying to break the emulsion of fat and water, and trying to remove everything that’s not fat.

Question 3

Clarified Butter vs. Ghee

Answer 3

Clarified butter is cooked over low heat to evaporate the water slowly and milk solids are skimmed off top and allowed to float to bottom, then strained.
Ghee is taken a step further - you keep cooking after the milk solids separate and continue until the solids brown and fall to the bottom of the pan. Then strain the mixture. It has clarified benefits, but with a nutty, toasted flavor.

Question 4

Butter vs. Clarified smoke point

Answer 4

350F butter, 450F clarified. When sauteing over high heat, it’s usually around 400F.

Question 5

You can expect to lose how much volume once butter is clarified?

Answer 5

25%

Question 6

When is clarified butter done?

Answer 6

when sputtering stops, bubbles are very very small, and you can’t hear much of anything. Stop because you don’t want clarified to brown at all!