Smen - Moroccan fermented butter.. best clarified or not?
I am making a 20kg batch for my niece's birth (I like the old traditions of the world!), and was wondering if anyone could direct me.
There seems to be recipes calling for fresh butter (https://www.thespruceeats.com/smen-moroccan-preserved-butter-with-thyme-2394939), and recipes calling for clarified butter (https://www.thespruceeats.com/smen-recipe-plain-salted-preserved-butter-2394938)
I need one to store for decades, so am wondering about the clarified butter one without the herb 'starter culture'.. and as an aside (for interest), are the differences just regional?
Best Answer
Clarified butter has had most of the water removed and so has a much longer shelf life than fresh butter. I assume this is why it is often found in the cuisines of warmer climates.
Water is required for fermentation so if the butter was truly clarified it would not ferment. That's kind of the point of clarified butter.
The second recipe only partially clarified the butter. The milk solids are strained but the water isn't separated out.
I suspect this is done for flavor and appearance. The browned solids would add complexity to the flavor even after they were strained out. The color would be more vibrant when it is used without the browned solids.
I can't speak to the authenticity of either method but I suspect the clarified butter would be more authentic because it would be more common in Morocco. Kind of like how all Indian recipes call for ghee even when butter works fine. It's what they had on hand.
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Is smen clarified butter?
Smen is a Moroccan preserved butter that is known as having more of a cheesy taste than a butter flavor. It is made from clarified butter and salt and is left to ferment, where it develops a strong taste and smell.Why is clarified butter used?
The purpose of clarifying butter is to raise its smoke point. The smoke point of regular butter is 350 degrees F. The smoke point of clarified butter is 450 degrees F, allowing you to use it - instead of canola oil, which has a smoke point of 400 to 450 degrees F - to get a good, flavorful sear.What is highly clarified butter?
Clarified butter, or ghee, is pure butterfat\u2013butter with the milk solids and water removed. It can be used as a sauce by itself, a base for other sauces or as a cooking agent. Make this delicious and versatile staple at home!Does clarified butter have more flavor?
Because the clarifying process removes water, milk solids (and possibly other impurities), clarified butter tastes silkier, richer, and has a more intensely creamy, buttery taste.Moroccan Smen (aged salted butter) السمن
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