Clarified butter

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Clarified butter is butter that has been rendered to separate the milk solids and water from the butter fat. Typically it is produced by melting butter and allowing the different components to separate by density. Some solids float to the surface and are skimmed off; the water and the remainder of the milk solids sink to the bottom and are left behind when the butter fat is poured off. The non-butter fat components are discarded.

Clarified butter has a higher smoke point than regular butter, and is therefore preferred in some cooking applications, such as sautéing. Drawn butter is usually a synonym of clarified butter, but sometimes used to mean simply melted butter. This term is encountered most commonly when it is served as an accompaniment to lobster, crab or shrimp. Ghee is a type of clarified butter important in Indian cuisine. Clarified butter infused with ginger, garlic, and several spices, (known as Niter kibbeh in Amharic and Tesmi in Tigrinya) is prominent in Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine (particularly in the highlands).