The Easiest Ever Way to Clarify Butter

We love clarified butter. It's the pure, creamy, golden result of melting butter and removing the water and milk solids, which gives it a higher smoking point (read: better for pan-frying golden chicken cutlets or Cornish game hens). We also love how perfectly crisp it makes butter cookies with clove sugar. What we don't love is the often messy process of melting and straining the butter. Here, chef Thomas Kim offers the best way to clarify butter.

"It's much easier to execute at home than straining," he says, "and still pretty reliable."

1. Melt the butter and pour it into a container (preferably one you can see through).
2. Leave it in the fridge overnight to separate and solidify.
3. The next day, skim the surface of the butter with a spoon.
4. Using a chopstick or skewer, poke a hole in the butter along the side of the container and pour out the milk solids.