Ingredients
Sour cream
- 500 mldouble cream, not ultra-pasteurised
- 150 mlwhole milk
- 3 tbspcultured buttermilk or live sour cream, as starter
To serve
- mămăligă
- ciorbă and soups
- plăcinte
Directions
- Warm the cream and milk together to 24°C (75°F) — barely warm. Smântână is set by a mesophilic culture that works at room temperature, and yoghurt heat kills it.
- Stir in the starter until evenly mixed.
- Pour into a jar, cover with a cloth rather than a lid, and leave at room temperature for 18 to 24 hours until thickened and pleasantly sour.
- Chill for at least six hours. It thickens considerably in the cold but should stay thick enough to spoon rather than pour — the milk in with the cream is there to stop it setting too stiff.
- Do not add it to a boiling pot. Take a soup off the heat first, or temper it with a ladle of hot broth stirred in before it goes back — added straight to a boil, it splits into grains and whey.
- Spoon onto hot mămăligă with sheep cheese and cracklings, stir into ciorbă off the heat, or serve alongside plăcinte.
- Keep two spoonfuls back to culture the next batch. It keeps two weeks in the fridge.
Technique
- Room temperature culturing, not warm. This is what gives smântână its clean, nutty sourness.
- Never add it to a boiling pan. This is the mistake that ruins the soup rather than the cream.
- Not ultra-pasteurised cream — UHT cream has been heated too hard to set properly.
Substitutions
- Crème fraîche or live sour cream as a starter, both mesophilic.
- All cream and no milk for a much thicker version.
- A mesophilic starter culture from a dairy supplier for consistency.
Variations
- Drained through muslin overnight it becomes a thick spread.
- The Russian smetana and Ukrainian version are the same cream.
History
Sour cream is the standard finish for Moldovan cooking; mămăligă is served with sheep cheese, smântână and cracklings.
Frequently asked questions
What is Smântână?
Smântână is a cheese & dairy from Moldova: thick sour cream spooned onto mămăligă, soups and plăcinte. Sour cream is the standard finish for Moldovan cooking; mămăligă is served with sheep cheese, smântână and cracklings.
How long does Smântână take to make?
Smântână takes 10 min plus 24 hours culturing of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes makes about 500 ml. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Smântână?
Yes, within limits. Crème fraîche or live sour cream as a starter, both mesophilic. All cream and no milk for a much thicker version. A mesophilic starter culture from a dairy supplier for consistency.
What is the most important thing to get right in Smântână?
Pour into a jar, cover with a cloth rather than a lid, and leave at room temperature for 18 to 24 hours until thickened and pleasantly sour.
