Discard milk solids?

[bacon]

Most instructions for clarified butter recommend discarding the milk solids.

I hate waste. Butter is expensive and the milk solids do contribute to flavour; so I occasionaly add them back into an already emulsified hollandaise.

Is there any other use for them?

I have done a brief internet search and so far they only get mentioned when people are throwing them away.

Are they worth saving or am I being overly thrifty?

[Elmig]

There is an Indian sweet that you can make with them. Sorry, I don't remember the name. After you have poured the clarified butter out of your pan put it (and the milk solids in the bottom) back on the heat on low. Sprinkle flour over the top and make a kind of thick crumbly roue (sp?) and sprinkle sugar on after a few minutes. Stir and continue to cook for a few minutes to get the raw flavor out. Roll into balls. You can also sprinkle on some cardamom or other spice for flavoring.

[spm]

Don't forget about the whey when making ricotta or goat cheese. It's very high in protein, very healthful. I always take a tablespoon of it when make these cheeses. I hear you can substitute it for buttermilk in a recipe but I have not actually tried this yet.

[funfoodie]

At a restaurant I worked in we used to clarity 50lbs of butter once a week, as you can imagine a lot of milk solids were left over, but none of it was wasted! The majority was used to base grilled proteins and vegetables on the grill. A little was added to mashed potatoes. Some of the cream based pastas were finished with a little bit of milk solids. After large functions risotto was leftover so we made croquettes to which we added milk solids. Depending on the soup of the day a little could be drizzled just before serving.

[danieljdwyer]

Milk solids are a delicacy in the ghee loving parts of the world. They're very good on bread, particularly good naan, and in most contexts where butter is used as a condiment.

[phofiend]

I always save them. I let them brown a bit and sprinkle on top of steamed vegetables or put a dollop on a bowl of soup. Wonderful mixed into mashed potatoes. They freeze very well, too.