c. butter

Clarified butter, commonly abbreviated as c. butter, is rendered butterfat from which milk solids and water have been removed through a gentle heating and separation process. The result is a pure fat with a higher smoke point (approximately 450°F/232°C) than whole butter, making it suitable for high-heat cooking. Clarified butter has a pale golden to amber color, nutty aroma, and smooth consistency at room temperature. It differs from ghee, the South Asian variant, which is clarified butter that has been further cooked to develop deeper flavor and golden color through the browning of residual milk solids. Clarified butter has a longer shelf life than whole butter due to the removal of water and milk proteins that promote spoilage.

Clarified butter is used extensively in cuisines requiring high-heat cooking, including French and Indian cooking. It serves as the base for sautéing, pan-frying, and shallow-frying without the smoking or burning that occurs with whole butter. In French cuisine, clarified butter is used in hollandaise and béarnaise sauces, while in Indian cuisine it forms the foundation for tempering spices and cooking curries. It is also employed in pastry work, where its pure fat content contributes to flaky textures in laminated doughs and pie crusts. Clarified butter can be drizzled over finished dishes or used as a dipping sauce, particularly with seafood and vegetables.