Clarified butter is butter with its water and milk solids removed, leaving almost pure golden butterfat — a clear, faintly sweet cooking fat that keeps the flavour of butter but withstands far higher heat before it smokes or burns. Melted and separated, its milk solids skimmed and its water boiled off, it is the classic sauté and searing fat of the French kitchen, where the clear fat poured off warm butter is also called "drawn" butter.