Crème fraîche

Ingredients

Cream

• 500 mldouble cream, not ultra-pasteurised
• 2 tbspcultured buttermilk, or 2 tbsp live crème fraîche

To serve

• spooned into sauces and soups
• or with fruit and sugar

Directions

1. Warm the cream to 24°C (75°F) — barely warm to the touch. Crème fraîche is set by a mesophilic culture that works at room temperature, and heating it to yoghurt temperature kills exactly what you want.
2. Stir in the buttermilk thoroughly.
3. Pour into a clean jar, cover with a cloth rather than a lid, and leave at room temperature for 18 to 24 hours.
4. It is ready when it has thickened noticeably and smells faintly nutty and sour. It will still be pourable at this stage — it does most of its thickening in the fridge.
5. Seal and refrigerate for at least six hours, after which it should be thick enough to hold a spoon.
6. It keeps two weeks in the fridge, and thickens and sharpens as it goes. Keep two tablespoons back to culture the next batch.
7. Use it wherever cream would split: crème fraîche can be boiled in a sauce without curdling, because culturing has already coagulated the protein.

Technique

• Not ultra-pasteurised. UHT cream has been heated hard enough that the culture cannot set it properly, and it stays thin however long you wait.
• The reason to make it rather than use soured cream is heat stability. Sour cream splits in a hot pan; crème fraîche does not.
• Room temperature, not warm. Above 30°C (86°F) the culture sours it fast and it tastes sharp rather than nutty.

Substitutions

• Live sour cream as a starter, which carries the same cultures.
• A mesophilic starter culture from a dairy supplier for a more consistent result.

Variations

• Whipped, it holds soft peaks and is served with fruit and sugar.
• Isigny crème fraîche is an AOC product from Normandy; this is the household method, not the protected cream.

History

Normandy’s crème fraîche d’Isigny holds AOC status; culturing thickens the cream while keeping it stable in heat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Crème fraîche?

Crème fraîche is a cheese & dairy from France: thick cultured cream, spooned into sauces without curdling. Normandy’s crème fraîche d’Isigny holds AOC status; culturing thickens the cream while keeping it stable in heat.

How long does Crème fraîche take to make?

Crème fraîche takes 5 min plus 24 hours culturing of preparation and 5 min of cooking. The recipe makes makes 500 ml. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Crème fraîche?

Yes, within limits. Live sour cream as a starter, which carries the same cultures. A mesophilic starter culture from a dairy supplier for a more consistent result.

What is the most important thing to get right in Crème fraîche?

Pour into a clean jar, cover with a cloth rather than a lid, and leave at room temperature for 18 to 24 hours.