How to make Romy Gill's spiced tumeric ghee

This clarified butter is used throughout Indian cooking and is lactose free. Here, Romy Gill gives her own twist to the ancient creation

Creating by separating butter into three sections, ghee is the clear middle liquid (Matt Inwood)

My mum was a very clever lady: she always cooked so well with very little money and would always put whatever she had available in the fridge or cupboard to the best possible use.

She and my grandmothers would make ghee (clarified butter) very differently to the way I do today.

As a child, I was always fascinated with spices, their aromas the way that they looked and how they worked to characterise or balance other ingredients in a dish.

I’m still fascinated, and so today I follow in my mother’s and her mother’s footsteps and make my own ghee, but I create many variations by adding whole spices and herbs to flavour and continue my journey of curiosity.

Turmeric ghee

500g unsalted butter
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
6 black peppercorns

Put the butter in a pan over a medium heat and let it bubble and melt. As it starts to become clear, skim off the foam from the top and discard.

Continue this process until all of the foam has gone. Let it cool a little before pouring the clear liquid into a clean container, but make sure the brown solid bits remain in the bottom of the pan.

Make sure to store the ghee in an airtight container in the fridge, where it will keep for up to three weeks or more.

Romy Gill is head chef and owner of Romy's Kitchenin Thornbury. Follow her @Romygill