Clarified Brown Butter? Anyone?

[GB]

Thanks Andy. So ghee is browned clarified butter.

 

[cave76]

Thanks Andy. So ghee is browned clarified butter.

Well, yes and no. I'm off for a nap so perhaps Andy can clarify that.

 

[JMediger]

Thanks Andy. So ghee is browned clarified butter.

This is where I'm getting confused too GB. I've never tasted ghee ... does it taste like brown butter?

I never thought about straining it and keeping it because it's so easy to make BUT I have burnt my fair share of butter getting the right shade of brown so ...

 

[Andy M.]

I wouldn't say brown. The key seems to be that you continue to cook the butter until the crud on the bottom of the pan turns brown. By then it has imparted flavor to the butter fat which has turned a darker yellow. If you google images of ghee you'll see yellow, not brown.

 

[cave76]

This is where I'm getting confused too GB. I've never tasted ghee ... does it taste like brown butter?

I never thought about straining it and keeping it because it's so easy to make BUT I have burnt my fair share of butter getting the right shade of brown so ...

There's ghee and there's browned ghee. I haven't made browned ghee yet but yes, I think the taste would be somewhat like browned butter.

Ghee is unsalted butter melted down gently until the 'solids' drop down to the bottom of the pan. (What Andy aptly calls 'crud'.) What is left above is an almost clear, yellow 'liquid'. The liquid is then poured gently through a muslin cloth or fine strainer so that any 'bits' don't get through.

It will harden a bit. Then it can be kept at room temp or in the fridge to be used as an 'oil' that tastes like butter but doesn't burn as quickly as plain butter would in a pan if left on high or too long.

Browned ghee is the same as above only it's heated a little longer until the 'crud' at the bottom turns brown but DOES NOT BURN. (That's a critical time slot and has to be watched carefully at the end.)

For ordinary use-----just plain ghee is what you would probably want. It would be good for dipping lobster into also..... Or boiled new potatoes. Or.......

Here is a video that shows it being made in a pan. I always use my slow cooker because I don't have to watch it as closely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Pker6csSAg

 

[Sprout]

So, from reading the thread, this is what I'm gathering:
Clarified butter is any butter that has gone through the heating/straining process to remove the milk solids.
Browned butter is clarified butter that was heated to a higher temperature during clarifying until it took on a golden brown color and nutty smell.
Ghee is clarified butter that was heated past the temperatures necessary to simply clarify until the milk solids have begun to brown, but removed before reaching the depth of color (and flavor) of browned butter. Or, in other words, Ghee is somewhere between basic clarified butter and browned butter.

Andy, did I follow that correctly?

 

[Andy M.]

So, from reading the thread, this is what I'm gathering:
Clarified butter is any butter that has gone through the heating/straining process to remove the milk solids.
Browned butter is clarified butter that was heated to a higher temperature during clarifying until it took on a golden brown color and nutty smell.
Ghee is clarified butter that was heated past the temperatures necessary to simply clarify until the milk solids have begun to brown, but removed before reaching the depth of color (and flavor) of browned butter. Or, in other words, Ghee is somewhere between basic clarified butter and browned butter.

Andy, did I follow that correctly?

It seems you have read and understood what I've been saying.

 

[cave76]

So, from reading the thread, this is what I'm gathering:
Clarified butter is any butter that has gone through the heating/straining process to remove the milk solids.
Browned butter is clarified butter that was heated to a higher temperature during clarifying until it took on a golden brown color and nutty smell.
Ghee is clarified butter that was heated past the temperatures necessary to simply clarify until the milk solids have begun to brown, but removed before reaching the depth of color (and flavor) of browned butter. Or, in other words, Ghee is somewhere between basic clarified butter and browned butter.

Andy, did I follow that correctly?

And another bazinga!

 

[taxlady]

Ghee is supposed to be cooked for a long time. I think that not only caramelizes, I think it drives off more water.

 

[Kirsten]

Clarified butter for shortening substitute (melting chocolate)?

Can clarified butter be used as shortening to make melted chocolate smoother and easier to spread? I have a tight budget so buying a block of Copha/Lard when I only need a bit for one cake doesn't really seem worth all that money.

So can it be used as shortening for chocolate without causing the chocolate to seize or not set?

Also I think I saw a post/s saying that brown clarified butter tastes like (hazel?)nuts and was wondering how to tell when the brown clarified butter won't taste too strongly of nuts.

I'm going to make a orange cake drizzled with white chocolate for a special birthday and if I can get the white chocolate to have a slightly nutty taste, that'd be a bonus.

 

[Addie]

Can clarified butter be used as shortening to make melted chocolate smoother and easier to spread? I have a tight budget so buying a block of Copha/Lard when I only need a bit for one cake doesn't really seem worth all that money.

So can it be used as shortening for chocolate without causing the chocolate to seize or not set?

Also I think I saw a post/s saying that brown clarified butter tastes like (hazel?)nuts and was wondering how to tell when the brown clarified butter won't taste too strongly of nuts.

I'm going to make a orange cake drizzled with white chocolate for a special birthday and if I can get the white chocolate to have a slightly nutty taste, that'd be a bonus.

Welcome to DC Kirsten. This is a fun place to be and full of very useful information as you can see on this subject.

 

[Kirsten]

What would you use if you didn't have a ladel?

 

[Addie]

What would you use if you didn't have a ladel?

What are you needing a ladle for? You could pour the product into a container that has a lip meant for pouring.

 

[Kirsten]

So a gravy jug (~100ml) will do fine? I've watched a few videos and they all used ladels so I thought that it was the best option.

 

[Addie]

So a gravy jug (~100ml) will do fine? I've watched a few videos and they all used ladels so I thought that it was the best option.

Sounds perfect as a substitute. Even a large milk pitcher with a pouring lip on it will do just fine.

 

[Kirsten]

Do you know if clarified butter will make melted chocolate seize or prevent it from setting? Since I can't have the chocolate inside the cake I want to drizzle it on top and I wish to get a bit artistic with it, swirls, lines and the like.