On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 1195

consistency of the butterfat itself, which
thanks to its long fat molecules is naturally
moreslow-flowingandviscousthanwater.So
meltedbutter,wholeorclarified(“drawn”)to
remove the water phase, makes a simple and
delicioussauce.Cooksalsoheatwholebutter
until the water boils off and the milk solids
turnbrown,whichgivesthefatanuttyaroma.
TheFrenchbeurrenoisetteandbeurrenoir,or
“hazelnut” and “black” butters, are such
brownedbutters,oftenmadeintoatemporary
emulsion with lemon juice and vinegar
respectively.
Compound and Whipped Butters There are
other ways to take advantage of butter’s
semisolid consistency and background
richness.Oneistomakea“compoundbutter”
by incorporating pounded herbs, spices,
shellfish eggs or livers, or other ingredients;
another is to whip softened butter with a
flavorfulliquidintoacombinedemulsionand


foam. Pieces or dollops of these flavored
butters can then be melted into a rich,
flavorfulcoatingatopapieceofmeatorfish,
oronsomevegetablesorpasta,ortheycanbe
swirledintoanotherwisefinishedsauce.
Turning Butter Back into Cream:
Enriching Sauces with Butter Butter is
remarkable for being a convertible emulsion.

This offspring of cream can be turned back
into cream! Its convertibility is what makes
buttersousefulasafinishingenrichmentfor
many sauces, including simple pan
deglazings, and it’s what makes possible the
sauce called beurre blanc, literally “white
butter.” There’s only one requirement for
convertingbutterintotheequivalentofcream
with80%fat:theprocessmuststartinasmall
amount of water. If you melt butter on its
own, the fat phase remains the continuous
phase, and the water droplets settle out of it.
But if you melt butter in some water, then