How to Make Clarified Butter for Crab Legs and Lobster (2024)

FAQs

How do you clarify butter for crab legs? ›

Melt butter in 1-quart saucepan over low heat, without stirring, 10-15 minutes or until melted and solids separate from fat. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Skim off foam. Slowly pour off clear yellow liquid, leaving behind the residue of milk solids that has settled to the bottom of the pan.

How to Clarify Butter for Crab Legs and Lobster. Clarified butter is butter that's been melted and the milk solids removed. The remaining fat is clear when melted, making it the best butter for crab legs and lobster dinners.

It may help to add an extra layer of flavor when making lobster. To use clarified butter for cooking, start by melting it down in a saucepan at medium-low heat. When prepping your lobster dish of choice, brush some clarified butter onto each piece of lobster meat before putting them on the preheated skillet or grill.

If you're indulging in a fresh seafood meal that includes those shellfish, clarified butter - also known as drawn butter - is a must. Clarified butter is known as a "clean" butter in that certain solids are removed to leave only the pure butterfat.

The flavor and aroma of European butters are superior to other standard butter, and it clarifies incredibly easily because its milk solids settle easily and naturally, when heated properly, at the bottom of the pan.

Clarified butter, also sometimes referred to as drawn butter, is a form of “clean” butter where certain solids are removed and only the pure butterfat remains. Unsalted butter is slowly melted, allowing the milk solids to separate from the transparent golden liquid and for any water to evaporate.

Thawing the legs before cooking is optional, but if you have the time, it's worth it. The legs will steam faster and more evenly if thawed. Ideally, thaw them in a bowl overnight in the refrigerator, but if you're tight on time, know that you can place them in a colander under cool running water until no ice remains.

The “crab butter” you refer to is the yellow-white-greenish substance that is revealed after the large shell has been removed. This is actually a digestive gland known as the hepatopancreas, an equivalent to our liver and pancreas.

Ghee is a type of clarified butter popular in Middle Eastern and Indian cooking, made by heating butter to remove water and milk solids. While it's gaining recognition for its possible health benefits, you should still eat it in moderation due to its high fat content, which can lead to heart disease and weight gain.

Use clarified butter for frying and sautéing — it is excellent for cooking eggs, popping popcorn or cooking steak. Clarified butter also makes a mean hollandaise. Ghee is clarified butter cooked further to nutty golden perfection. It's basically an extreme version of clarified butter with a shelf life like uranium.

Is clarified butter better for seafood? ›

Use clarified butter to dip cooked seafood, like crab or shrimp. It is great for sautéing fish, cooking vegetables, or making hollandaise or other sauces. It's also perfect for delicious buttery popcorn. Clarified butter can be stored it in your refrigerator for about a month.

However, unlike most high heat cooking oils, it adds a ton of rich, buttery flavor to recipes. It's also a tasty dipping sauce for shellfish like lobster and crab legs! Learn how to make clarified butter in this step-by-step tutorial.

Melt butter in 1-quart saucepan over low heat, without stirring, 10-15 minutes or until melted and solids separate from fat. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Skim off foam. Slowly pour off clear yellow liquid, leaving behind the residue of milk solids that has settled to bottom of pan.

So if you start with 4 sticks (1 pound) of butter, you'll end up with 3 sticks (3/4 pound) of clarified butter. You know, math. Cut butter into pieces, each about 1 tablespoon. Then melt them in a saucepan over medium heat.

To make clarified butter gently melt unsalted butter over low heat until the butter breaks down and three layers form. The top layer is a white foam or froth (the whey proteins) and should be skimmed off with a spoon. The milk solids will drop to the bottom of the saucepan and form a milky layer of sediment.

To begin with just bring a large pot of water to a simmer over medium heat. Then add a pound of butter to a ziplock gallon bag, and be sure to zip it tightly. Carefully place the zipped bag in the simmering water and let the butter slowly melt. This will take about 15-20 minutes.