Need help with cream sauce!

[gadzooks]

Irish butter contains about 1/3 the water of American butter. Get sweet (unsalted) Irish butter for sauces. And use a double boiler to prevent overheating sauces. I use a stainless whisking bowl in a sauce pan. Water in pan, sauce in bowl.

[AMSeccia]

Where do you find Irish butter? I have seen French, Amish, and good ole Dairyland butter ... but not Irish butter. I'm doing good around here to find the unsalted without an upcharge!

[gadzooks]

I'm in Southern California...we have Trader Joe's. But we also have Irish butter (KerryGold) in Safeway. And European butter, such as plugra (from TJ's), is much lower moisture content than American, and much richer in flavor.

[Russellkhan]

Sorry to pick nits, but Plugra is an American butter. It's European style according to the package, but it's American made. This is a good thing - it's much cheaper than the imported butters. I use it in all my baking.

[gadzooks]

Correct. Perhaps I should have said European type butter. And it is cheaper...affordable. Better on toasted sourdough, too. I haven't tried it with nits.

[ChefJune]

Originally Posted by jet

How do you go about reducing wine to a syrup?

you cook it down.

[Goodweed of the North]

Originally Posted by archiduc

Hi Goodweed,
Butter contains water - 15-18% as you will realise if you try to clarify some.

I knew that. I have clarified butter many times. I was just visualizing the time when I made butter with my kids by shaking around a jar of cream until the butterfat seperated from the whey. We then rinsed the butter to remove the remaining whey and mixed in a bit of salt. But yes, when you place butter in a hot pan, it sizzles as the watter escapes from the fat.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

[Russellkhan]

Originally Posted by gadzooks

I haven't tried it with nits.

Nits are excellent with all types of butter, but they require utmost care when picking.

[jet]

Originally Posted by ChefJune

you cook it down.

I've tried just simmering it but the consistency did not seem to change. How long should it take (ballpark estimate)?

[ChefJune]

Originally Posted by jet

I've tried just simmering it but the consistency did not seem to change. How long should it take (ballpark estimate)?

can't give you an amount of time it should take. but it will take longer than you think it should....