Composite Butter and ghee

Using just a little bit of water helps the emulsion process in preparing Beurre Monte. Whether you emulsify 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) or 1 pound of butter, just a tablespoon of water will do.

Any amount of Beurre Monte can be made using the following method. Whatever recipe that you will need the Beurre Monte Butter for, read that recipe thoroughly to determine the total amount of Beurre Monte you will need.

In a saucepan, bring the

1 tablespoon of water to a boil over high heat; reduce the heat to low and begin adding the chunks of butter (a little at a time) whisking to emulsify.

Once the emulsion is started, more butter may be whisked in faster.

Hold the temperature of the Beurre Monte between 160 and 190 degrees for poaching. DO

Not boil or the mixture will break!

The mixture should have the consistency of a very thick butter sauce.

Beurre Monte can be set aside on the stove after being prepared. You should use the Beurre Monte Butter within an hour after you make it.

The Beurre Monte can be frozen and used anytime on vegetables or seafood.

Clarified Butter: 

Also called drawn butter. Regular butter is made up of butterfat, milk solids, and water. Clarified butter is the translucent golden butterfat left over after the milk solids and water are removed. In short, clarified butter is just butter that contains only pure butterfat. It has a higher smoke point than regular butter, thus allowing you to be able to cook at higher temperatures, and won't spoil as quickly.
 

Butter Ghee

Clarified butter and ghee are not the same. Ghee is clarified butter that has been cooked longer to remove all the moisture, and the milk solids are browned (caramelized) in the fat and then strained out. This gives a rich nutty taste. Ghee has a longer shelf life, both refrigerated and at room temperature. It is traditionally used in Indian cuisine.

Making Clarified Butter and Ghee Tips and Hints:

Always use unsalted butter. Use organic butter or the best butter you can buy. Cheap butter contains lots of water and chemicals, plus it burns much faster.
 When making clarified butter always start with at least 25% more unsalted butter than the amount of clarified butter needed, as the volume is reduced during the melting and straining process.

1 pound of butter = about 1 1/2 cups clarified butter or ghee.

Use a heavy bottomed and deep stainless steel pan. Make sure the pan you will be using is clean and dry.
Use low heat so the butter will not burn. Yes, turning up the heat will melt the butter faster, but the milk solids may begin to burn. For fast melting, cut the unsalted butter into pieces and melt slowly in a heavy saucepan for approximately 30 minutes.
Never cover the pan during the whole cooking process.

Chef's Tip - use a double boiler. This let you safely clarify your butter while busy elsewhere in the kitchen.

Storing clarified butter and ghee - They can both be stored, covered, without refrigeration in a glass or earthen jar for about six (6) months. At room temperature, they become semi-sold. With refrigeration, they both harden and can be stored, covered, for about one 91) year. Do not let any water get into your clarified butter or ghee jar. A drop of water can easily promote bacteria and spoil them.

Using clarified butter and ghee

Clarified butter and ghee is great for sautéing because it doesn't burn as easily as ordinary butter. It is useful in all kinds of sauce making, especially the butter-based sauces like Hollandaise and Béarnaise. It is also a delicious accompaniment for lobster or crab. Use then in place of regular butter in your cooking.
 

How to Make Clarified Butter and How to Make Butter Ghee

The only difference in making both clarified butter and ghee, is the length of the cooking time. The additional Ghee directions are in blue print below.

Place one (1) pound of unsalted butter in your pan. Over low heat, melt the butter. When the butter has completely melted, continue to heat it over low heat.

When the melted butter starts boiling, it will begin to foam and sputter a lot at first as the water boils off. Continue boiling the butter, uncovered.

As the butter melts, it will slowly separate into three (3) layers:

The top layer is a thin layer of foam (this is the butter's water content boiling off.

The middle layer contains the liquid.

The bottom layer is where most of the milk solids are.

Slowly the liquid on top becomes more and more transparent. When the clarified butter has a golden transparent color, there is very little foam left on the surface, and the solids have settled on the bottom, the clarified butter is ready. The cooking time is approximately 30 minutes, depending on the heat source and the kind of pot that you use.

Remove from heat immediately as it can burn easily at this point.

Ghee: 

Continue to slowly cook over low heat, watching carefully and stirring occasionally, until solids on the bottom of the pan turn light brown and the liquid deepens to golden and turns translucent and fragrant. Also a rich aroma ( aroma smells like popcorn) arises in the air. Immediately remove from the heat. Important - If you leave it on the heat too long, you will burn the residue and all of the ghee will have a burnt taste.

Composite Butter

Are those to which they are added, cold or hot, herbs and other ingredients. In this way, a variety of colors and varied flavors are obtained. Cold accompany meat and roasted fish, and serve to make allumettes, canapés, etc. Hot are mostly involved in the finishing of certain sauces.

To perform the “Composite " Butters first, it must be " Blossom " by calling it " Ointment " which consists of working the butter without heating it above 30º c until it has a soft and creamy texture, its subsequent uses are Unlimited.

Cold-made butter

with raw ingredients: the ingredients are sift, itchy, cut, cooled or reduced to puree, and then incorporated into butter in ointment.
"Cold-made butter" with cooked ingredients: these are boiled, reduced and then cooled. They finally incorporate butter into ointment.

Hot-made butter stings the shells of crustaceans and then incorporates into butter, which melts into the bath Mary, then foam, melts and.

Butter Maître D ' Hotel: 1 kg of butter, 200 grams of chopped parsley, ½ clove of garlic and relish.

Hotel Butter: 1 kg of butter, lemon juice, 100 grams of parsley, 200 grams of consequential. Uses: sins and or baked meats.

Coffee butter from Paris: 1 kg butter, 100 grams of chopped parsley, 20 grams of tarragon, 5 grams of cilantro, 5 grams of basil, 3 grams of Rosemary, 50 Grams of shallot, 5 grams of garlic, 10 grams of spicy root, 30 grams of anchovies in puree, 100 mustard, 15 grams of salt, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, 100 Cc of Cognac. Uses: for meat, preferably baked, this butter is used in the steak court

Ways to remove the foam and solids:

Skim off the foam after removing from heat. Let the butter cool awhile to let more of the solids settle, and then pour or spoon out the clarified butter, leaving the remain milk solids in the pan.

Pour the hot melted cutter through cheesecloth, fine-mesh skimmer, or tea strainer to filter out the foam and solids that have settled, letting the clarified butter flow into a jar.

My favorite way - Pour the hot melted butter into a container and allow it to separate on its own while cooling, and then refrigerate. After it has solidified, you can easily scrape off the hardened foam on top.

Use a gravy or fat separator to make the skimming easier.

Strain the melted butter through a typical coffee filter.

The advantages of making your own clarified butter and/or ghee:

You can choose the quality of butter used.

Home clarified butter and ghee tastes better.

Making your own is much cheaper than purchasing it.

No splatter or burning during sautéing.

High smoke point of 375 degrees F.

Long shelf life (refrigerated or room temperature).

Is well tolerated by those with lactose intolerance.

How to Make Flavored Butters:

In a medium-size bowl, whip 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature) until fluffy.

Combine the softened butter and other ingredients (listed below) together until they are completely blended.
Tips for preparing Compound Butters:

The butter must first be brought to room temperature and softened by beating it.

The flavoring ingredients must be very finely chopped or pureed. If any extra liquid develops, it should be drained off thoroughly before mixing in the butter.

For the flavor to better penetrate the butter, allow it to stand at cool room temperature for a few hours before refrigerating.

Compound butters may be stored in freezer, tightly wrapped. Use a sharp knife dipped in hot water for cutting the frozen butter.

Chile Pepper Butter
1 chile pepper, deveined and seeded, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

Chive Butter
1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
Pinch fine sea salt

Chocolate Hazelnut Butter
Powdered cocoa to taste
Sugar to taste
1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped hazelnuts

Creamy Brown Sugar Butter
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon brown sugar
 

Honey Butter
(This is a childhood favorite)
1/2 cup honey

Honey Fruit Butter
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed orange juice
1 small banana
 

Kalamata Olive Butter
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup pitted chopped kalamata olives

Marmalade Butter
1/2 cup marmalade (lemon, orange, or grapefruit)

Raisin-Nut Butter
1/2 cup finely chopped toasted walnuts
1/4 cup finely chopped raisins
1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 

Rum Raisin Butter
3 tablespoon raisins or currants
2 tablespoons rum
Sugar to taste
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Sweet Citrus Butter
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons grated orange or lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed orange or lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

White Chocolate Butter
2 tablespoons white chocolate, melted and cooled
Ground cinnamon to taste

Truffle Butter

2 to 4 ounces black or white truffles
1 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
Coarse sea salt or fleur de sel salt

In a small bowl, clean the truffles and grate them into the butter; gently combine the truffle distributing them as evenly as possible. Taste to determine how much truffle you preferred. Season with salt to taste.

On a large piece of plastic wrap, spoon the butter/truffle mixture and form into a log, about 1-inch thick. Wrap the log tightly. May also transfer the butter to a ramekin or crock, and cover securely. Let the flavors blend at room temperature for several hours. Refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 1 month. Serve at room temperature

Truffle Butter II:
If you can't find (or even afford) fresh truffles, try this version using white truffle oil.

1 pound unsalted butter, room temperature

Basil and Chive Flavored Homemade Butter

Yields: 1 cup

1 cup heavy whipping cream
4 cups sweet basil leaves
2 tablespoons garlic chives, finely snipped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 teaspoon green peppercorns, coarsely crushed
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel de Guérande (or regular salt)

Preparation

Blanch (dip for 15 seconds in boiling water then transfer in an ice bath) the basil, drain, then pat dry on a paper towel. Roughly chop.

Place the heavy cream in a food processor. Use the fastest speed to churn the butter. Pulse until the cream becomes buttery and creamy. Add the rest of the ingredients. Pulse one more time. Transfer to a butter crock (or a ramekin that you seal with plastic wrap) and chill it for at least 30 minutes before using. You can store this in the refrigerator up to 2-3 days.

Voilà!

I used this butter for my croquette sandwich.

Pinot Noir Butter Sauce

2 tablespoons finely minced shallots
1/2 cup pinot noir, or other dry red wine
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Coarse Salt

In a medium saucepan, combine the shallots, wine, and peppercorns; bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced in volume by 1/2, about 2 minutes.

Whisk in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, adding each piece before the previous one has been completely incorporated. Continue until all the butter is incorporated and the sauce coats the back of a spoon, removing the pan from the heat periodically to prevent the sauce from getting too hot and breaking. Salt to taste.

Strain into a clean container and use immediately.