How to Make Drawn Butter

PDF download Download Article
PDF download Download Article

"Drawn butter" usually refers to a butter dipping sauce served with lobster or crab, but there's no special recipe that sets it apart from any other butter sauce. Depending on the chef's preference, drawn butter can mean clarified butter (clear butterfat with the water and milk solids removed), or simply melted butter. Either way, you can serve the drawn butter plain, or kick it up a notch with garlic, lemon, or herbs.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Making a Melted Butter Sauce

PDF download Download Article
  1. "Drawn butter" is an ambiguous term. Depending on which chef you ask, it can mean plain melted butter or "clarified" butter: pure butterfat separated from the milk solids and water. Each option has its advantages: [1]
    • Plain melted butter has more flavor, making it a good dipping sauce for seafood. Read on for simple instructions and flavor ideas.
    • Clarified butter has a more subdued flavor, which some people prefer. It also has a higher smoking point, useful for searing food. Skip ahead for the recipe.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make Drawn Butter
    Cut the butter into pieces and melt it in a pan over low heat. Stir the butter occasionally to prevent burning, especially if you have a cast iron or stainless steel pan (which tend to create hot spots).
    • You can also melt butter in the microwave , but it can easily burn if you do it in one go. Cut into pieces, cover with a paper towel, and heat in ten second increments, stirring in between.
    Advertisement
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make Drawn Butter
    You can serve plain drawn butter as a dipping sauce, but it's usually paired with other ingredients. Here's a simple, traditional sauce for lobster or other seafood: [2]
    • ½ cup (120 mL) melted butter
    • Juice of one lemon
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    • For a spicier sauce, add 2-3 cloves crushed garlic, or replace the black pepper with cayenne.
    4. Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Clarifying Butter

PDF download Download Article
  1. Watermark wikiHow to Make Drawn Butter
    Cut the butter into pieces and put it in a pan with an even temperature. A heavy aluminum pan is ideal, but thin copper or aluminum pans should work as long as you do not overheat them. If your only options are cast iron or stainless steel, stir the butter frequently to distribute the heat. [3]
    • Do not use salted butter, as the salt will become extra concentrated during clarification.
    • You'll lose about ¼ of the butter's volume during clarification. If the recipe calls for 1 cup drawn butter, start with 1⅓ cup butter.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make Drawn Butter
    When butter melts, it separates into three components: a layer of milk solids on top, butterfat in the middle, and water at the bottom. [4] Once the milk solids (a white foam) are floating on the surface, skim them off and set aside.
    • You can use the milk solids to flavor popcorn or anything else that pairs well with butter.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make Drawn Butter
    The clear layer in the middle is clarified butter, or in other words pure butterfat. Transfer this to a new container.
    • Discard the water left at the bottom of the pan.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make Drawn Butter
    . Ghee is an Indian variation on clarified butter. The process is more difficult (it's easy to burn the butter), but it adds a nutty flavor and doesn't waste any butterfat to skimming. Although traditional ghee starts with a fermented milk product, there is a common labor-saving alternative that some people use to make "drawn butter:" [5]
    • Bring the butter to a gentle boil over medium-low heat.
    • Wait for the foam to break apart and sink to the bottom.
    • Turn off the heat once the bubbling has mostly stopped. This means the water has boiled away.
    • Simmer for a little bit longer, until you see and smell the milk solids browning lightly at the base of the pan. Take care not to burn them.
    • Pour the butter through a damp cheesecloth or coffee filter to strain out the browned solids.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Make Drawn Butter
    Optionally, transfer the clarified butter to a clean pan to stir in other ingredients. One minute of sautéing with a couple cloves of finely chopped garlic adds a delicious aroma and flavor. [6] Lemon juice, tarragon, or chives are also popular additions, as is a simple sprinkle of salt and pepper.
    6. Advertisement
Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Making Beurre Monte

PDF download Download Article
  1. Although not nearly as common as the versions above, some chefs use the term "drawn butter" as a synonym for beurre monte. [7] This is melted butter in the form of an emulsion, meaning the milk solids and liquids are distributed evenly instead of separated. This is an excellent sauce to use when poaching lobster or pan-roasting meat. [8]
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make Drawn Butter
    Heat about two tablespoons (30 mL) water in a saucepan or double boiler . Bring to a simmer, than immediately reduce heat to low. You'll need to keep the heat even at just below boiling. This is easiest in a heavy pan over a gas stove.
    • It doesn't matter how much beurre monte you want to make — you always start out with just a little water. There's already plenty of water in the butter; you just need a little extra to get the emulsion started.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make Drawn Butter
    Chop the butter into small pieces. Add one of them to the water and whisk in slowly. Once melted, it should form a milky, homogenous liquid.
    • If the mixture boils or if you stop whisking, the milk solids may separate and form a scum on the surface.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make Drawn Butter
    Repeat this process, whisking in butter one chunk at a time. You can add as much butter as you like, but don't plan on saving leftovers; the sauce will separate in storage.
  5. If the butter starts to separate, you might be able to fix the sauce:
    • If you see little droplets of fat start to form, it's just beginning to break. Stop adding butter and whisk in a little more water until the fat is mixed in. [9]
    • If the sauce broke completely, try vigorously whisking in a spoonful of heavy cream. [10]
    • If the sauce breaks after you took it off the stove, blend it with a spoonful of very hot water. [11]
  6. Watermark wikiHow to Make Drawn Butter
    It's best to use the beurre monte within the hour, before it separates. If you need to wait longer than that, cover it with a tight lid or plastic wrap, and keep in a warm place for a few hours. [12]
    • The ideal temperature for poaching in beurre monte is about 180ºF (80ºC). [13] Do not let it boil, or it will separate.
    7. Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    Do you need parsley in lemon drawn butter?
    Community Answer
    Finely chopped parsley is an excellent addition to lemon butter, but it is not required.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 0 Helpful 4
  • Question
    Can you make drawn butter with margarine, vegetable oil spreads or butter substitutes?
    Community Answer
    If you're avoiding lactose, you can still eat clarified butter. If you are avoiding butter for another reason, you can use any butter substitute, but don't try to clarify it. Margarine contains water but no milk solids, so clarifying it is just a messy way to make vegetable oil and water.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 1 Helpful 3
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Video

      Read Video Transcript

      Tips

      • Clarified butter contains almost no lactose, making it safe for people with lactose intolerance.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      • Clarified butter has a much longer shelf life than whole butter. You can even store it out of the fridge, as long as you were thorough about removing all the milk solids and water.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      Warning

      • If you overheat the butter while clarifying, water trapped under the butterfat can boil and explode, spraying hot butter all over your kitchen. Keeping the heat low and stirring occasionally should prevent this. If you want to be extra safe, leave a spoon in the pan to break the surface tension, allowing steam to escape around the handle. [14]

      Things You'll Need

      • Butter
      • 2 saucepans
      • Ladle
      • Bowl
      • 3 cloves finely chopped garlic
      • Ground black pepper
      • Sea salt
      • Lemon

      You Might Also Like

      Step-by-Step Guide to Making Homemade Butter from Milk or Cream
      How to
      Measure Butter
      How to
      Make Cannabutter and Use It For Edibles
      2 Ways to Make Movie Theater Butter for Popcorn
      How to
      Make Butter
      How to
      Store Butter
      How to
      Test the Freshness of Butter
      How to
      Store Ghee
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2015/08/clarified-butter-recipe.html
      2. ↑ https://relish.com/recipes/poached-lobster-tails-with-lemon-butter-sauce-video/
      3. ↑ https://www.cookingforengineers.com/article/120/Common-Materials-of-Cookware
      4. ↑ https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2015/08/clarified-butter-recipe.html
      5. ↑ https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2015/08/clarified-butter-recipe.html
      6. ↑ https://www.gourmettraveller.com.au/recipes/recipe-search/feature-recipe/2007/9/cockles-with-drawn-butter-and-garlic-sauce/
      7. ↑ https://www.cheftalk.com/t/2420/drawn-butter-vs-clarified-butter
      8. ↑ https://articles.latimes.com/2000/mar/01/food/fo-3995
      9. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/quick-tiphow-to-fix-a-broken-s-46403
      1. ↑ https://food52.com/blog/14876-kitchen-rescue-how-to-fix-a-broken-or-curdled-sauce
      2. ↑ https://food52.com/blog/14876-kitchen-rescue-how-to-fix-a-broken-or-curdled-sauce
      3. ↑ https://articles.latimes.com/2000/mar/01/food/fo-3995
      4. ↑ https://articles.latimes.com/2000/mar/01/food/fo-3995
      5. ↑ https://fussylittleblog.com/2014/03/24/butter-explosion/

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To make drawn butter, start by cutting the butter into small pieces and putting the pieces in a pan. Then, heat the butter over low heat until it melts, stirring it occasionally so it doesn't burn. If you'd rather make drawn butter in the microwave, just add small pieces to a dish, cover the dish with a paper towel, and microwave the butter in 10-second increments until it's fully melted. To give your drawn butter extra flavor, try mixing in some lemon juice or salt and pepper. To learn how to make clarified butter, scroll down!

      Did this summary help you?
      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 227,899 times.

      Reader Success Stories

      • Oliver Gerry

        Aug 22, 2017

        "Being a Mainer, I love lobster and always just used plain butter with mine. Don't want to injure the taste of ..." more
        Rated this article:
      More reader stories Hide reader stories
      Share your story

      Did this article help you?

      Advertisement