How to Clarify Butter for Popcorn

Rich and velvety smooth, clarified butter elevates the simplest of preparations.

Clarified butter is simply butterfat. During the clarification process -- which involves heating the butter at a low temperature -- the milk solids and whey collect at the bottom of the cooking vessel, the water evaporates and the clear butterfat rises to the top. After refining the butterfat a bit more, it develops a translucent appearance and clean taste, making it an ideal accompaniment for preparations that range from the elegant, as in steamed Maine lobster, to the simple and classic, such as popcorn.

Things You'll Need

• 1/2 lb unsalted butter
• Saucepan
• Cheesecloth
• Fine-mesh sieve or metal colander
• Heat-proof food-storage container or metal mixing bowl

Instructions

1. Melt 1/2 lb. of butter in a saucepan over low heat until it separates and the whey settles at the bottom, approximately 30 minutes. Skim the froth from the surface of the butter as needed with a spoon.

2. Dampen two feet of cheesecloth with water and line a fine-mesh sieve or metal colander with it.

3. Strain the separated butter through the cheesecloth into a heat-proof food-storage container or metal mixing bowl. A half-pound of unsalted butter yields six tablespoons of clarified butter.

References

• "The Professional Chef 8th Edition"; The Culinary Institute of America; 2006