Clarified butter - ghee butter: what it is, what it is for and why use it

The properties of ghee clarified butter

-It is rich in nutritional properties such as fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E, riboflavin, antioxidants (K2, CLA, conjugated linoleic acid), minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium.

-It is also ideal for those who are lactose intolerant, because it is free of it.

-Fatty acids strengthen the immune system and the walls of the intestine, helping to treat gastritis, diarrhea, ulcers, heartburn, constipation, bloating or digestion problems.

-It is also excellent for external use thanks to its emollient action on dry skin, lips and dry, dull hair.

But what does the absence of water, casein and lactose mean?

The smoke point of clarified butter is around 250 °C, this is because with clarification both the milk proteins and a fraction of water are removed from the "whole butter".

Clarified butter and Maillard reactions

Maillard reactions are a series of chemical interactions between proteins and sugars that can occur during the cooking of meat. These chemical reactions give the characteristic browned color and excellent flavor to properly grilled or browned meat. For these reactions to occur the surface temperature of the meat must reach 140°C. At lower temperatures these reactions do not occur. When in a recipe we read "brown the meat" it means that we must bring the surface to at least 140 °C. (Yes, you will splatter the hob with grease).

Clarified butter, where to use it

-It should essentially be used to brown meat due to its resistance to high temperatures.

-It is also perfect for use in sautés with onion or garlic. Many flavor compounds released when heating these vegetables are fat-soluble. We wouldn't be able to smell certain aromas in our mouth if there wasn't a fat to convey them. Furthermore, having a high smoke point it forgives any distractions.

-It is perfect for use in risottos.

Not having water inside, clarified butter has longer storage times and is less subject to bacterial attacks.

It can therefore be used instead of traditional butter in those contexts where a real refrigerator is not available. It is therefore well suited for use in small boats or on campsites where you make do with ice chests and car coolers.

-It is ideal for use in the preparation of béchamel sauce. The absence of water in clarified butter simplifies the initial phase of preparing the sauce. If we prepare the béchamel with clarified butter, as there is no water inside, we do not run the risk of forming lumps in the initial phase. A further wild card is given by the absence of casein which browns above 120°C: the béchamel will remain clear even if we have made some mistakes in managing the temperature.

-How to use ghee to replace whole butter in recipes? It can be used in any recipe that requires the use of butter with just one precaution: you will have to replace it in the recipes using 20% less than the quantities of butter indicated. Since it does not contain an aqueous and protein fraction, its use will have to be reduced. For example, if a recipe uses 150 grams of butter, this dose can be replaced with 120 grams of clarified butter.