Despite its complicated diacritical marks and general air of French aloofness, crème fraîche is remarkably easy to make. It's also delicious, versatile, and an excellent bulk-builder for those of you trying to gain weight (seriously - it's 28% butterfat. Which is why it tastes so good!)
Cool things about crème fraîche :
- You can whip it, whip it good (thank you, Devo, for leaping unbidden into my head)
- You can use it in sweet or savory dishes
- It won't curdle in recipes - although you should still add it at the end of cooking, and don't use light crème fraîche for cooking.
- It keeps for 7-10 days in the refrigerator
Crème Fraîche Ingredients:
2 c. heavy (or "double," in the UK) cream - NOT ultra-pasteurized!
3 T. buttermilk
- Heat the heavy cream verrrrry gently over a low flame until just warmed.
- Stir in the buttermilk.
- Transfer to a glass jar; leave for 24 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Stir, then put in the refrigerator for a few more hours, to cool.
- Whip with a bit of sugar and a dash of vanilla; mix in savory ingredients for a delicious chip dip; stir into borscht, asparagus soup, black bean chili, scoop over baked potatoes - basically, anything you'd use whipped cream or sour cream for, you can use Crème fraîche.
*Note: My crème fraîche became increasingly thicker as time went on, so by the time the Bald Guy and I ate the last of it, it was very thick indeed - like softened margarine. Still absolutely delicious!
No comments:
Post a Comment