Origin
Beurre clarifié is the cooking fat of the classical French kitchen, used for sautés, for the pan-frying of delicate fish and for brushing pastry. Jacques Pépin presents it in Complete Techniques among the basic procedures of the professional cook: butter is melted, freed of its water and milk solids, and kept as pure fat that can be heated further without burning.
Description
Beurre clarifié is pure butterfat, obtained by melting unsalted butter gently and separating it into three layers: a foam of coagulated milk proteins at the surface, the clear golden fat beneath, and the milky whey at the bottom. The foam is skimmed and the fat is poured off the whey, leaving a translucent liquid that sets to a pale, firm paste when cold. Because the proteins and water are removed, it tolerates a much higher heat than whole butter, in the region of 250°C (482°F) before it begins to smoke, whereas whole butter darkens and burns well below that point. Butter holds about 80 to 82 per cent fat, and the clarified yield is close to that proportion of its weight. It differs from beurre noisette, in which the solids are deliberately browned, and from ghee, in which the milk solids are cooked until they colour and flavour the fat.
The Thread
Flavour Context
Beurre clarifié is used to sauté veal escalopes, to pan-fry sole and other delicate fish, and to brush over filo, strudel and brioche, where it browns evenly without scorching. It accompanies the dry, clean wines suited to such dishes, such as a white Burgundy from Chardonnay or a Chablis. The structural reason is that pure butterfat gives the richness and the browning of butter without the water and proteins that burn and cloud, so the food takes colour cleanly and the wine's acidity cuts the fat.