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Butter has its fan base despite the presence of other options like desi ghee and oil. The mild saltiness in butter combined with its creamy texture makes it the most perfect ingredient to give a smooth taste to food. Many dishes in India, especially the northern part are incomplete without a generous amount of butter. There are not a lot of substitutes that can give the same texture and taste to food as butter gives. But one has to be extremely careful while cooking food with butter because a single wrong step can ruin the whole process. Also, it takes only a few seconds for butter to go from golden brown well-melted butter to dark brown burnt butter. Here are some tips that one must remember while cooking food with butter to make the results as good as possible.
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* Keep A Check On Heat Levels
While cooking butter it is always very important to keep checking the heat levels because butter can get easily burnt if the heat levels are extremely high. The best way to cook food in butter is by first heating the pan on a medium flame and then adding the butter. It should never be added to an extremely high flame as it will instantly get burned. One must always try to keep a close eye as soon as the butter starts melting and adjust the heat levels accordingly. A little sizzle is important to ensure that the butter is melted properly, but it shouldn't be too loud or intense. Never let the butter turn into brown colour quickly as it means butter getting burnt.
* Using A Bit Of Oil
A good way of increasing the burning point of butter, and also preventing it from getting burnt is by using a bit of vegetable oil and splashing it in the pan before putting butter. The oil acts as a barrier between the butter and the direct heat of the pan. It gives immunity to the butter and doesn't let it burn very easily. At the same time, the butter also gets slowly cooked and a person gets a broader window to add other ingredients. It's always good to use mild vegetable oils such as olive oil that do not overpower the flavour of butter. Using too-strong oils like coconut oil will outshine the flavours of butter.
* Using Clarified Butter
A good way of making sure that the butter doesn't get burnt is by using clarified butter. Clarified butter is a type of pure butter fat. It doesn't consist of any water content and has pure milk solids. This makes the whole temperature more stable and the butter doesn't get burnt that easily. Clarified butter can be made at home by using normal butter or can be directly bought from the market as well. Clarified butter has to be gently melted on a pan and the foam must be skimmed when it rises to the top. Clarified butter is ideal for different cooking processes like frying and sautéing and also prevents the risk of burning.
* Adding Butter In The End
There are a lot of recipes in which butter is used in the end to give a creamy and smooth texture to the dish. In this case, a good idea is to add butter after putting the flame off. The temperature of the food will automatically melt the butter without burning it. This is a great idea to add butter in sauces where a creamy texture is required. By adding butter after putting off the heat and giving it time to melt gently in the dish, one can get a silky texture and avoid the risk of butter burning.
* Pay Attention Towards The Colour Of The Butter
While cooking food in butter, it is very important to pay attention towards its colour. Upon heating the butter, it will go through different stages of forming and then browning. One should not let the butter get extremely brown and also pay attention towards the aroma of the butter. As the butter will turn a little light golden brown, it will give a very nutty aroma. This is a sign that the butter has been cooked properly and it is time to put off the heat. It also helps in ensuring that the butter is cooked until the point it doesn't get burnt. This is the optimum colour and consistency. You need to fry vegetables or sauté whatever ingredients you want.
These are some of the top tips that one must remember while cooking food in butter.
