Homemade Cr�me Fraiche � Nobody's Ever Made it Just Once
Cr�me fraiche is French for "fresh cream," which makes it one of the most ironically named foods ever, since it's made by leaving cream out in a warm spot until it�s soured and thickened by a growing colony of bacteria. Yeah, fresh.
Regardless, making cr�me fraiche is very easy and as the title implies, once you taste the magic of homemade sour cream, you'll have a hard time not repeating this somewhat esoteric exercise. Sure it takes a couple days, but the effort is minimal for such a marvelous payoff.
As I mention in the video, besides the amazing taste and luxurious texture, maybe the best thing about cr�me fraiche is its ability to be cooked. Because of it's composition and fat content, it doesn�t curdle and separate when you heat it like sour cream.
This makes it an incredibly versatile addition to countless recipes. I can't think of many pan sauces that don�t benefit from a spoon or two. Yesterday on this blog, you saw it stirred into fried rice. Next week, you'll see it turn an ordinary pan of braised beef into a world-class Stroganoff. I could go on and on, and for SEO purposes I probably should, but you get the idea.
As long as your jars and utensils are very clean, preferably sterilized, there isn�t a lot that can go wrong. Be sure to get your hands on the best, freshest cream you can find. In the supermarket you'll want to look for "pasteurized," not "ultra-pasteurized" heavy whipping cream. Also, be sure to use cultured buttermilk otherwise you�re going to be waiting a full day to see nothing happen.
By the way, I'm extremely proud of this video recipe and blog post, but not for the usual reasons. It's because I didn�t make one single Randy Marsh joke! You South Park fans know what I'm talking about, and those of you that don�t should really check out this cr�me fraiche-themed episode. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons cultured buttermilk
Mix together and leave in a warm spot (about 70-75 degrees F.) for 24 hours, or until thick. Refrigerate for 24 hours before using. Should last a week or two.
Mix together and leave in a warm spot (about 70-75 degrees F.) for 24 hours, or until thick. Refrigerate for 24 hours before using. Should last a week or two.
Category Article Sauces, Tips and Techniques
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