Ghee (clarified fermented butter)

Instructions

1. For the traditional version: This recipe is very practical for a household that uses fresh milk on a daily basis. Back home to this day, fresh milk isn’t stored for more than a day even in the fridge. Milk is boiled every morning and left to cool to be used for different applications. Once cool, a layer of cream forms on top of the milk, and this is collected every day and stored in the fridge. After a couple of weeks, you would accumulate, ideally, about 500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) fermented cream to make ghee.
2. Place the cream in a patili (a round-bottomed pot) or heavy-based pot over a medium heat. Warm gently for 30–40 minutes until the milk solids and fat separate. Try not to stir too much – just often enough to prevent the cream catching on the base of the pot. The ghee will float to the surface and the milk solids will turn from white to dark brown.
3. Take the pot off the heat. Once the ghee has cooled to room temperature, carefully strain the ghee through a muslin (cheesecloth) or fine-mesh sieve.
4. Store the ghee at room temperature in a sealed container or sterilised glass jar for up to 1 month. (You can sterilise a jar by placing it in a saucepan of boiling water for 30 seconds, then leaving it to air-dry.) The pat – the milk solids that caramelise in the process of making ghee – can be eaten with a little sugar sprinkled on top as a dessert.
5. For the cheat’s version: Heat the butter in a patili or heavy-based pot over a medium heat until it reaches 140°C (285°F) on a cooking thermometer. Remove any impurities that rise to the surface with a slotted spoon. No pat is produced in this version.
6. Take the ghee off the heat, let it cool, then strain and store in an airtight container or sterilised glass jar at room temperature for up to 1 month.