Smen (cooked and salted butter)
1 batch
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | pounds | Sweet butter, cut up |
| 1 | tablespoon | Kosher or pickling salt |
Directions
In 2-quart saucepan, melt the butter over moderate heat, stirring frequently to avoid coloring it. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, undisturbed, for 45 minutes, or until the butter is clear and the solids on the bottom are light brown.
Spoon the clear liquid into a cheesecloth-lined strainer (lined w/4 layers of cheesecloth over a bowl), and to keep the smen from turning rancid repeat the straining; the smen must be absolutely clear.
Discard the milk solids in the saucepan.
Stir in the salt, then pour the liquid butter into a sterile, airtight 1-pint glass jar, cover, and store in a cool place or in the refrigerator.
Note: This will keep a long time, six months or longer.
Yield: About 1 cup.
Wolfert notes that, while this basic smen cannot be compared with the taste of the herbed smens produced by the Fassis, this recipe tastes nutty because of the cooking of the butter, and she also says that this recipe is more practical than herbal smen because it will keep much longer.
From "Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco" by Paula Wolfert. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc., 1987. Pg. 39. ISBN 0-06-091396-7. Posted by Cathy Harned.
Submitted By CATHY HARNED On 10-03-94
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