What is Butter Oil?

[black chef]

Last night, on "Throwdown with Bobby Flay," his competition, the "breakfast queen from Kentucky," said that she uses butter oil to cook her breakfast meals.

Isn't butter oil = ghee = clarified butter?

Just asking...

 

[Gretchen]

That would be my guess.

 

[Aurora]

There are also butter flavored oils.

http://www.butterlicious.com/

 

[GB]

Clarified butter is just the oil part of butter with the milk solids removed so I would assume she was talking about clarified or drawn butter.

 

[FryBoy]

It's the same as clarified butter, drawn butter, anhydrous milkfat, or ghee. Check this site and scroll down to butter oil:

http://www.foodsubs.com/Fatsoils.html

 

[GB]

It is my understanding that ghee and clarified butter are not exactly the same. ghee is clarified butter that has been cooked longer giving it a darker color and a nuttier flavor. I could be wrong about this, but that is what I understand it to be.

 

[Andy M.]

It is my understanding that ghee and clarified butter are not exactly the same. ghee is clarified butter that has been cooked longer giving it a darker color and a nuttier flavor. I could be wrong about this, but that is what I understand it to be.

GB:

I've read that as well, but the ghee I've seen is the color of melted butter-bright yellow.

 

[GB]

Yeah I have seen that as well. I have always been very confused by that Andy.

Yakuta where are you when we need you

 

[cjs]

Ghee is clarified butter taken that step further to get all the moisture evaporated and the solids begin to brown. Ghee has a longer shelf life and higher smoke point than clarified.

 

[GB]

Thanks cjs. That is exactly what I thought it was. Believe it or not I was not able to easily find that info online (in my quick and limited search).

 

[cjs]

It's like the (and please I'm not trying to start WWIII) mother sauces - I only remember clarified/ghee because we had such arguments about it in school - best way to get info cemented in your brain!!!

 

[GB]

That is for sure!

 

[FryBoy]

According to this site devoted to butter, http://webexhibits.org/butter/index.html, butter oil is made by gently heating butter to break the emulsion, followed by centrifugation to remove the milk serum from the fat fraction; it's over 99 percent pure butterfat. That sounds like ghee, only possibly more pure.

 

[Robo410]

nice town that hermosa beach eh fry boy? been out there a couple three times. (atlantic ocean joe here)

 

[FryBoy]

nice town that hermosa beach eh fry boy? been out there a couple three times. (atlantic ocean joe here)

We like it. I grew up near the ocean in San Diego and missed it all the years we lived inland. We moved here a little less than two years ago to be near our daughter's family, who live 3 miles away in Manhattan Beach.

Politics in a small town (1.3 square miles) is great fun to watch, quite a shock after living in Los Angeles for 35 years.

This place has a real funky beach persona. For example, we have our own version of a triathlon -- run a mile in the sand, paddle a surfboard one mile, then chug-a-lug a six pack. I think the rule is that you have to keep the beer down for 30 minutes, although there is a prize for the "best hurl."

And then there's beach volleyball, a spectator sport obviously designed specifically for the entertainment of dirty old men!

 

[black chef]

We like it. I grew up near the ocean in San Diego and missed it all the years we lived inland. We moved here a little less than two years ago to be near our daughter's family, who live 3 miles away in Manhattan Beach.

Politics in a small town (1.3 square miles) is great fun to watch, quite a shock after living in Los Angeles for 35 years.

This place has a real funky beach persona. For example, we have our own version of a triathlon -- run a mile in the sand, paddle a surfboard one mile, then chug-a-lug a six pack. I think the rule is that you have to keep the beer down for 30 minutes, although there is a prize for the "best hurl."

And then there's beach volleyball, a spectator sport obviously designed specifically for the entertainment of dirty old men!

it's a sport, and i'm also a spectator-espcially when Misty May-Treanor is playing.

wow!!!

 

[karadekoolaid]

It's like the (and please I'm not trying to start WWIII) mother sauces - I only remember clarified/ghee because we had such arguments about it in school - best way to get info cemented in your brain!!!

I just made a kilo of ghee today. It took me a while to get it right, since I took the "recipe" from an Indian website and it was a bit vague, but now I have it off pat.
Melt the butter ( unsalted) gently in a large pan with a good heavy bottom. Heat it gently till it begins to bubble slightly, and then turn down the flame to minimum.Cook it for about 45 - 60 minutes. You may need to use a splatter shield; it is prone to volcanic-style eruptions on the surface.
The top foamy surface will gradually become a little crispy. you can remove this with a slotted spoon and give it to the cat.
A thick, brownish sludge will form on the bottom of the pan. Do not stir it, just wait until the ghee is ready ( time given above) then gently pour the ghee into a glass jar and put a lid on it. Discard the sludge. The liquid will be golden brown and have an enticing nutty smell.
Tomorrow, you will have yellow cream in the jar. Just spoon out a little when you want to cook Indian food - or any other, for that matter!

I cannot, unfortunately, tell you much about the other sort of butter, since the question has never been clarified... (arf! arf!)

 

[Michael in FtW]

I would have to guess ... given the context and the origins of the cook - this is probably just clarified butter. UNLESS ... after removing the milk solids she slowly reduced the ramaining melted butter to evaporate the water without browning it ... then she would have true "butter oil".

But - most southern cooks I know just use clarified butter ....

 

[black chef]

the ONLY clarified butter i have access to is Plugra. is there another good brand out there?

since plugra clarified butter is also getting hard to find, i've been using the purity farms ghee more often.

i can't remember the last time i used vegetable or canola oil. the last time i used ANY oil besides olive oil or ghee was when i made crabcakes, and i used a mixture of ghee and peanut oil for those.

 

[GB]

black chef, why not make your own clarified butter. It is very easy to do. If you like, we would be happy to give you instructions on how to make your own.