Glorious Ghee

Before you go all ‘ewww’ on me, hear me out.  Ghee is amazing.  I promise you, once you try it, you will wonder why you never gave it a chance before.  For those who are already ghee enthusiasts, you will know how delicious this nutty oil is.  I think those who are not into ghee, may have a thwarted opinion of what it actually is. Maybe they have conjured up images of rendered offal fat or beef tallow.  Who knows what bizarre images people have of ghee?  But I’m here to tell you, ghee is essentially butter, and we all know how much I lurrrrve butter.  Did I just partially purr like a cat?  Yup, that’s how much I love it.  Paleo fanatics no doubt will agree ghee is the way to go.   Before I go on, I must state that there is some confusion surrounding ghee and clarified butter.  Clarified butter is when the water has evaporated from the butter fat.  Ghee takes clarified butter further and allows it to bubble for a while so that the butter caramelises.  It’s essential that the butter simmers for about 30-40mins. Not boil, just simmer gently until the bottom of the pan with the milk solids starts to caramelise but not burn.  You will recognise this step, because your kitchen will fill with an exhilarating aroma.

I make my own ghee and use it in a wide variety of cooking.  It’s scrumptious when making scrambled eggs, delectable in curries and luscious on rice or with a warm dosa.  Totally salivating like a Pavlov dog.

Ingredients – makes about 450gms
2 x 250gm best quality unsalted or salt reduced butter (I like organic ones from Gippsland Victoria)
Cheesecloth to strain and separate the milk solids from ghee
1  x 500gm Mason jar

1. In a large stainless steel saucepan melt the butter over a low heat
2. once completely melted allow pot to simmer for about 30-40 minutes
3. What you will notice is two things, a layer of milk proteins at the top and bits at the bottom.  You can skim the top layer off, but leave the bottom layer to turn a pale brown.  The longer you let this cook, the more intense the flavour.  However once it burns, it doesn’t taste great.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.
4. Using a cheese cloth strain the golden deliciousness into a mason jar.  Discard the brown bits.   << Totally not compulsory, but it’s at this stage that I grab some bread and dunk it in the ghee and devour it like a crazy animal. 

Notes: I store my ghee at room temperature, no need to refrigerate.  It can last for months but mine rarely lasts beyond 3 weeks.  Ghee has a really high smoking point which makes it ideal for cooking.  People who have dairy sensitivies can enjoy ghee as there is no lactose or casein.     

Before we got married, my husband was used to having his eggs scrambled with olive oil.  Now, it’s a different story.  It’s all ghee ghee ghee!  The taste is sensational.