When you remove milk solids from butter, you increase its
heat tolerance. Drawn butter, or clarified butter, doesn't burn as easily as
regular butter because the milk solids (whey) have been removed. In addition
to serving with seafood, you can use drawn butter for making dishes that
benefit from buttery flavor, but must be cooked over moderately high heat,
such as sauteed potatoes, eggs, and sauces. To make cup of clarified
butter, slowly melt one cup of butter (we prefer unsalted; you can salt
later to taste) in a small saucepan over low heat, using care not to burn.
After butter has melted completely, continue to heat over low heat, allowing
milk solids to separate out. Some milk solids will drop to the bottom of the
pan, while others will rise as foam. Remove butter from heat and skim off
the foam. Let cool a bit to let more of the solids settle, then pour or
spoon out the clarified butter, leaving the remaining milk solids in the
pan. Alternatively, pour through cheesecloth to remove milk fats, or
refrigerate until layers are easily separated.
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Quick CRAB SOUP
From Lettie Glenz of Sumerduck
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
1 cup diced potatoes
1 cup diced carrots
1 lb. lump crabmeat
cup corn kernels
t salt
t black pepper
1 t Old Bay seafood seasoning
cup water
1 T of cornstarch
1 cup clam juice
2 T scallions chopped
1 T fresh dill, minced
DIRECTIONS: In a 4- or 5-quart Dutch
oven, heat the heavy cream, half-and-half, and milk to a simmer over medium
heat. Add the potatoes, carrots, crabmeat, corn, salt,pepper and Old Bay. Reduce the heat to low and
simmer, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes, until the vegetables are
softened. Whisk the water and the cornstarch together in a small bowl. Add
the cornstarch mixture and the clam juice to the cream mixture and bring to
a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute, or until thickened. Just
before serving, add the scallions and dill. Recipe can be made in 30
minutes.
SHRIMP WITH ANGEL HAIR PASTA
From Deanna Persinger of Raphine
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 T olive oil
10-oz. can cream of celery soup
1 cups milk
1 T dried basil, crushed
t pepper
to 1 lb. salad shrimp, thawed
cup white cooking wine
1 lb. angel hair pasta, cooked and drained.
DIRECTIONS: Cook onion with garlic
in oil until tender. Stir in can of soup. Add milk, basil, and pepper. Heat
until mixture bubbles.Add salad shrimp. Cover and simmer for 3 to 5
minutes until shrimp turns opaque. Stir in wine. Heat through. Serve over
angel hair pasta.
FISHERMANS STEW
From Patricia Harbin of Louisa
INGREDIENTS:
3 T butter or margarine
3 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
28-oz. can whole tomatoes
1 small onion, chopped
cup chopped green pepper
1 lb. frozen fish fillets (e.g. haddock, cod, sole)
1 t salt
Dash of pepper
DIRECTIONS: In large saucepan over medium heat, cook
potatoes in hot butter until lightly browned. Stir in tomatoes and their
liquid, onion and green pepper; cover and cook 15 minutes or until potatoes
are fork-tender. Cut fish into 1-inch chunks; stir into vegetable mixture
with salt and pepper. Cook 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when
tested with a fork. Makes 4 servings.
TILAPIA WITH SAFFRON RICE AND GREEK SALSA
From Cathy Benson of Daleville
INGREDIENTS:
1 small red onion, sliced thin
1 small can sliced black olives, drained
1 cup diced fresh tomatoes
1 cup escarole lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces.
1 cup feta cheese
1 cup Kens brand Greek dressing
4-6 tilapia fish fillets, rinsed and patted dry
2 t olive oil
1 T chopped garlic
1 t oregano
1 t black pepper
1 lg. bag Mahatma Saffron Yellow Rice, prepared
according to pkg.
DIRECTIONS: Combine all vegetable ingredients with feta cheese and dressing.
Toss well and place in refrigerator. Turn oven to low broil. Brush tilapia
fillets with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic, oregano and pepper. Place in
oven under low broil for about 10 minutes, checking to make sure the fish is
not overdone. Remove as soon as fillets are flaky. Make a bed of rice, top
with tilapia fillet and dress the side with the Greek salsa. Makes 6
servings.
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