10 Cooking with Ghee (Read 9327 times)
Kerry
Inukshuk
Offline



Posts: 427
Location: Toronto
Joined: May 13th, 2010
Cooking with Ghee
Sep 10th, 2010 at 6:30pm
Quote Quote Print Post Print Post  
This may be old hat for many of you but it was a revelation for me over the 3 weeks that we tripped in Quetico recently.  Ghee is the perfect solution for sauteeing and frying, especially doing fish.  For those of you who don't know, Ghee is clarified butter which means butter from which all the milk solids and most of the water have been removed.  It tastes exactly like butter (because it is) and has an unlimited shelf life which means it won't become rancid over the course of a long trip.  For pancakes or frying fish it is absolutely the best.  If you haven't already I'd recommend giving it a try on your next trip.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
nctry_Ben
Inukshuk
Offline



Posts: 401
Location: Northern Minnesota
Joined: Jan 12th, 2010
Re: Cooking with Ghee
Reply #1 - Sep 10th, 2010 at 10:38pm
Quote Quote Print Post Print Post  
Is that a grocery store item?
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
intrepid_camper
Inukshuk
Offline



Posts: 1348
Location: Northern Minnesota
Joined: Jul 12th, 2004
Re: Cooking with Ghee
Reply #2 - Sep 11th, 2010 at 12:00am
Quote Quote Print Post Print Post  
I think you can get it at health food/whole food stores sometimes.  You can make it yourself by very, very slowly heating grocery store butter until the oil separates from the solids.  Then you can carefully separate the oil from the solids, put the oil part in a leak proof container and use it.
It does stay fresh longer than butter; but I have not had salted butter go rancid on several two week trips, and longer if spring or fall camping in cooler temps.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Old Salt
Inukshuk
Offline



Posts: 4871
Location: Crossville, TN
Joined: Jun 17th, 2004
Re: Cooking with Ghee
Reply #3 - Sep 11th, 2010 at 3:56am
Quote Quote Print Post Print Post  
Ghee Whiz...
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Joe_Schmeaux
Inukshuk
Offline



Posts: 395
Location: Alberta
Joined: Mar 23rd, 2010
Re: Cooking with Ghee
Reply #4 - Sep 11th, 2010 at 5:30am
Quote Quote Print Post Print Post  
You should be able to find ghee in stores specializing in East Indian (or possibly Middle Eastern) food.

According to Madhur Jaffray's "An Invitation to Indian Cooking":

"There are two kinds of ghee. Usli ghee or clarified butter is used rarely. The more commonly used ghee resembles American shortening and is a mixture of various vegetable oils."

So if you want clarified butter, just follow Kerry's directions. If you go store-bought, you may end up with something fairly neutral, not much different from Crisco or Mazola oil.

When I'm cooking Indian food at home, I just use butter.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
db
Web-lackey
Inukshuk
Voyageur
Offline



Posts: 5462
Location: Just off the beaten path.
Joined: Sep 14th, 2002
Re: Cooking with Ghee
Reply #5 - Sep 11th, 2010 at 7:17am
Quote Quote Print Post Print Post  
I was thinking about possibly trying Ghee this trip. Probably next. In the past I've used:
Crisco/lard
powered shortening
butter
tubs of margarine
peanut/olive oil
squirt Parkay
spray Parkay (and the like)
and probably something else too.

Last trip I went with the spray. It's a smaller quantity so for a solo trip there's less leftover (that wasn't repackaged in the quantity I needed) to toss as I pack for next year's trip. The OEM spray dohickie fits the bottles I repackage it in so it won due to convenience but I had room for more english muffins and brown and serve rolls than usual this trip so I ended up taking more of them. The spray 'butter' left me wanting something better late in the trip.

Convenience and flavor fight it out every trip. Last trip, instant coffee won so I had all this room leftover if it fit in the canoe I borrowed. The instant coffee was a big hit and will go again if I can find the same stuff next year. The extra bread I took highlighted the deficiencies with the spray butter option enough to make me reconsider.

So my question is, is Ghee a solid or liquid at outdoor temperature and how do you package it? AND - how does it affect the crust on no-bake cheesecake?
  
Back to top
IP Logged
 
marlin55388
Inukshuk
Offline



Posts: 1230
Location: Watertown, MN
Joined: Mar 6th, 2009
Re: Cooking with Ghee
Reply #6 - Sep 11th, 2010 at 12:19pm
Quote Quote Print Post Print Post  
DB

Physical qualities depend on the temperature...I have seen it go solid. I package in a screw top nalgene jar, and pour and spoon. I haven't made the cheese cake for years, pre-ghee for me so I can answer that.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
marlin55388
Inukshuk
Offline



Posts: 1230
Location: Watertown, MN
Joined: Mar 6th, 2009
Re: Cooking with Ghee
Reply #7 - Sep 11th, 2010 at 12:25pm
Quote Quote Print Post Print Post  
Think microwave and a gravy separator Wink I too, like the IC, have never ever had butter go rancid...or cream cheese....or a bunch of other stuff...the GHEE factor is about cooking with it, without the milk solids the scorch factor is greatly improved....higher scorch temp

(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Kerry
Inukshuk
Offline



Posts: 427
Location: Toronto
Joined: May 13th, 2010
Re: Cooking with Ghee
Reply #8 - Sep 11th, 2010 at 10:52pm
Quote Quote Print Post Print Post  
Almost any good health food store will carry Ghee, you can even get it certified organic if that matters to you.  Definitely be sure to buy the real thing, namely clarified butter.  While you can make it yourself it's kind of labor intensive considering it sells for about $3.50 a pound.  When I bought it it was liquid but over the course of the trip it kind of entered that in-between state, not quite liquid, not quite solid.  At any rate we carried it in a Nalgene screw top and it was fine.  To me, the idea of frying a fillet of freshly caught fish in Crisco is criminal (I'm taking my stand right here!) and I've never had great luck with butter beyond a week or so.  So Ghee is my new religion and that's all I've got to say about that.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
intrepid_camper
Inukshuk
Offline



Posts: 1348
Location: Northern Minnesota
Joined: Jul 12th, 2004
Re: Cooking with Ghee
Reply #9 - Sep 11th, 2010 at 11:21pm
Quote Quote Print Post Print Post  
db, regarding the cheese cake question.  You melt the butter (usually) and mix it into the crumbs so the ghee will work the same as butter for you.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Terrapin
Inukshuk
Offline



Posts: 113
Location: Michigan City, IN
Joined: Mar 14th, 2006
Re: Cooking with Ghee
Reply #10 - Sep 13th, 2010 at 3:19am
Quote Quote Print Post Print Post  
db, 
Everyone is spot on with the ghee.  It is good stuff...better flavor and less leak prone (in a nalgene jar) than liquid corn oil, etc.  Consistency is about like warm butter.

You got my attention with the instant coffee comment however, what brand was it?

terp
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
db
Web-lackey
Inukshuk
Voyageur
Offline



Posts: 5462
Location: Just off the beaten path.
Joined: Sep 14th, 2002
Re: Cooking with Ghee
Reply #11 - Sep 14th, 2010 at 6:24am
Quote Quote Print Post Print Post  
Nescafe' Clasico. Both caffeine or not was pretty good.

After deciding to go the instant route, I was in the store looking at the Italian roast Via which I eventually brought a 10 pack of as my 'spare' or 'go to' coffee. I couldn't pull the trigger on 56 individually packed servings and right next to it was the Clasico which I've heard good things about. It was a no brainer. I have no clue what it cost any more but it was good too. Very good actually. The Via was slightly better and did have that Starbucks flavor which I've grown to accept. There was a little oil to the Via but that made it only slightly better but the size of my cup was predetermined by their packaging where as the Clasico allowed me to fill my cup and didn't display any of the the negatives normally associated with most instant types like that dry foam...

At home we grind. My wife uses a paper filter and I go with the gold. She doesn't like the grit at the bottom. I like the oil a paper filter reduces. The grit is what it is.

Hmmmm. This thread was about Ghee, which is fat. Fat's where it's at. It's what delivers flavor. Oil is fat too right? I'm seriously wondering if a half a drop of Ghee in a cup of Clasico might bring out the flavors I'm interested in. Coffeemate makes instant hot cocoa'n rum better. Isn't that basically just powdered fat with fake milk solids? The mind reels but I like my coffee black and strong.

Bottom line, instant saved me two pounds on my first portage and a ton of space. That would be good enough with me for that particular trip but the convenience factor converted me. Which is why Ghee interests me so much. I'll save bacon grease on trips too which is not convenient at all but I know what to expect from it and sometimes it's worth the extra effort.

In a way I'll miss the ritual of perking but I have my priorities and I don't even bother perking at home. I have/will do a cup with what's left in the Clasico jar on occasion. It's really not bad and actually pretty decent even when convenience doesn't matter.
  
Back to top
IP Logged
 
solotripper
Inukshuk
Offline



Posts: 8120
Location: clarkston MI
Joined: Mar 14th, 2005
Re: Cooking with Ghee
Reply #12 - Sep 14th, 2010 at 3:17pm
Quote Quote Print Post Print Post  

I'm a Ghee convert as well. I normally use a good olive oil when cooking at home. Sometimes however I like a little butter in a recipe. Ghee takes the high heat, eliminates much of the "bad" about butter, and on a trip is far easier to pack and use than oil, much healthier than Crisco type products.

I make mine with a small pan with a pouring lip, but heating the butter till melted and using a gravy fat device, is a very clever idea, one I'll try next time I need a batch.
I don't know about the Ghee in your coffee, but over oatmeal or baked/fried goods, it can't be beat. I like a shot of homemade Kahlua in my coffee/cocoa, brings out something for sure Grin

If you still want to bring some olive/canola/peanut oil, a little Ghee mixed in will give whatever your cooking a richer, flavor Wink
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
marlin55388
Inukshuk
Offline



Posts: 1230
Location: Watertown, MN
Joined: Mar 6th, 2009
Re: Cooking with Ghee
Reply #13 - Sep 15th, 2010 at 2:25am
Quote Quote Print Post Print Post  
Solotripper care to share that recipe for the homemade Kahlua, sounds nice...I was going to say gheelightful but I thought it was a bit to over the top. Never done buttered coffee but Mochas to be sure esp. those late season trips, warms yah better for longer; keeps the lips from crackin' too Wink!

Look for Nescafe, Mountain Blend that is nice too, if yah like chicory. Clasico is enjoyable too. Blau to the "dry foam", hate that...but instant is the ticket, and I grind and french press at home....no waste trail with bulk instant on trail, thats a good thing right?
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
solotripper
Inukshuk
Offline



Posts: 8120
Location: clarkston MI
Joined: Mar 14th, 2005
Re: Cooking with Ghee
Reply #14 - Sep 15th, 2010 at 2:31pm
Quote Quote Print Post Print Post  
Marlin,
There are numerous recipes on-line for this.
Here's the recipe I started with, but have "tweaked" to my taste.
I'd make it as written and then make it your own.

HOMEMADE KAHLUA  

3 c. sugar
1 qt. water
10 to 12 tsp. instant coffee
3 c. vodka (buy most inexpensive)
3 tsp. vanilla

Simmer sugar, water and coffee for 1 1/2 hours. Cool and add vodka and vanilla. Put in bottle. Ready to drink, but will get better with age. OR:

2 c. water
3 1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/5 inexpensive vodka
6 tbsp. freeze dried coffee

Boil water in large pot, add 3 1/2 cups sugar and boil 5 minutes. Add vanilla. Dissolve coffee in 1/2 cup water and add to pot. Pour in vodka. Makes 2 fifths. This needs to age at least one month.

I changed the instant coffee to the equivalent liquid in my choice of drip coffee, Folgers Supreme. I also cut back the sugar by half. You just mix to dissolve sugar and bottle. The biggest "tweak", is I substituted a white rum for the cheap vodka. Even cheap white rum is aged longer than cheap vodka. I believe it makes a smoother finished product.

Another item I will bring instead of the Home made Kahlua, is a mix of Wild Turkey and a store bought Mexican coffee liquor, which is much cheaper than the Kahlua brand. I fill a 1 liter square Naglene bottle with the Wild Turkey, and top off with coffee liquor. More punch than Kahlua, but smooth in coffee or hot cocoa Wink
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 

 
  « The Put-In ‹ Board  ^Top