Benefits of Cooking with Clarified Butter: Why You Should Try It
There are ample cooking oils on the market, from olive oil to traditional butter. However, one item far fewer people have heard of is clarified butter. What is it, and why should you add it to your kitchen?
Although it isn’t as frequent, clarified butter (also known as ghee) is a practical ingredient for many chefs and home cooks. Read on to learn more about what clarified butter is and the significant benefits available for those who utilize the product.
What is Clarified Butter?
Clarified butter is butter with the milk solids and water removed. It’s much thicker than butter and doesn’t have lactose, which makes it more accessible to many. It can be used to cook lobster tails, veal milanese, and more. There are typically options available in the store, or you can create your own through proper techniques.
The flavor profile of clarified butter includes the following:
- Rich
- Nutty
- Caramelized
Ghee was first discovered in what is now present-day Pakistan and India to solve the issue of spoiling butter in the hot summer months. Since there are no milk solids in clarified butter, it can be kept at room temperature for weeks at a time. Ghee is known for its cooking benefits, as well as certain medicinal impacts.
What Are the Benefits of Clarified Butter?
There are several noticeable benefits to clarified butter. If you’re trying to decide between clarified butter and other fat options or want to know if it’s something to add to the pantry, it’s helpful to know what good may come from the product. While ghee is higher in saturated fat than other products, there are several healthy and practical aspects.
Support of Heart Health
Although ghee has a higher amount of saturated fat than other cooking products, there are ample omega-3 fatty acids found in the product. These help the heart and blood vessels, leading to a far better body over the long term, especially when combined with healthy eating and an active lifestyle.
It’s vital to remember that cooking with ghee should be done in moderation. If a person ingests too much clarified butter, it can create issues with the heart and blood vessels, increasing your risk for a heart attack and other medical issues.
High in Vitamin A
Ghee is high in Vitamin A and contains various other critical vitamin selections. One tablespoon of most varieties of ghee offers 8% of the daily value of Vitamin A, 1% of Vitamin K, and 2% of Vitamin E. While these numbers aren’t crazy high, there’s still a substantial amount of each in ghee compared to other products.
You won’t be able to get your full daily value of Vitamin A with clarified butter, as eating until you reach that point will put far too much saturated fat into your system. However, it’s a helpful health addition if you add clarified butter to your cooking process.
Excellent Flavor Profile
There are ideal flavors in clarified butter, excellent for cooking with products like searing a Filet Mignon steak or roasting fresh fish. Many state that ghee tastes like butter, but it provides more of a nutty and roasted background. The quality of the products used to make the clarified butter makes a significant difference in the end product.
One thing to note is that clarified butter doesn’t have the creaminess of traditional butter, since the milk solids are removed. The taste is incredible, but those who have textural issues should be aware before making the change. It tastes like butter but isn’t the exact thing to a tee.
Multiple Cooking Uses
Ghee is one of the most versatile selections in cooking. Anywhere you would add oil or traditional butter to cook in a pan, that’s an excellent spot to utilize clarified butter. It’s usable for frying, sauteing, and more. It provides a nice buttery finish to any food experience, usable in both sweet and savory dishes.
Although clarified butter isn’t as common in America as in other countries, it’s risen in popularity over the years. If you want to cook something in butter or oil but decide to do something different, swap in clarified butter and see if you like the change!
Dairy Free
Many people struggle with digesting lactose, which makes them unable to enjoy dairy products with their meals. Luckily for those who need a spreadable topping, there is clarified butter. Since the product is separated from the previous milk solids, there is no longer any significant lactose in it. It’s a new product at that point.
Those who are dairy-free shouldn’t have to change anything from the initial recipe. However, it’s valuable to ask whoever is selling it to you on the off-chance they accidentally told you the wrong thing. Generally, clarified butter is dairy-free and won’t cause a significant stomach ache over the long term.
Digestive Health
Finally, there is some evidence supporting the benefits of ghee, this time focused on digestive health. If you invest in something with dairy, or something that once had dairy, there is a chemical called butyrate. There’s only a 1% portion of that in the product, which isn’t an insane amount, but still some nonetheless.
Butyrate is a vital item for helping the cells repair themselves, keeping the colon healthy, preventing colon cancer and other gut-related issues. Pair ghee with something that contains fiber, and you will be well on your way to optimal gut health.
Where Can You Find Quality Food Products?
There are ample health products you can search through at the grocery store, but it can be tricky to get with the program if you don’t know where to find quality food products like ghee.
If you want cold and fresh food delivered right to your door, look no further than Kolikof Caviar & Gourmet. You’ll find everything you need here, delivered cold within 72 hours of your order. In moments, you will have everything necessary to create a luxurious meal, including products like ghee which you can use for multiple meals on your docket!
