Clarified butter is butterfat separated from most of the water and milk solids in butter. It is made by gently heating butter, allowing the components to separate, and removing the foam and settled solids.
With fewer milk solids to scorch, clarified butter tolerates higher cooking temperatures than whole butter and is useful for sautéing or making sauces. It has a mild buttery flavor. Ghee is related, but its preparation commonly involves cooking the milk solids longer to develop a toasted flavor before straining.
Clarified butter remains a dairy product and should not be assumed safe for someone with a milk allergy.