The new house blend? Creme fraiche
IT’S hard to imagine French home cooking without a dollop of creme fraiche, that silky, subtly tart cultured cream that has a way of making food taste better. In France, just about every home cook keeps it handy to enrich sauces, dress up cooked vegetables or balance the sweetness of desserts.
Chefs there -- and here -- appreciate its tangy sophistication, spooning it onto or into anything that needs a little dairy zip: an elegant summer soup, a cured fish salad, a chocolate tart.
Long difficult-to-impossible to find in the U.S., it’s now a staple in supermarket dairy cases -- which is great news for any cook who seeks an easy measure of luxury. And even better, it’s easy to make terrific creme fraiche at home, often more complex and with even better texture than what’s available in stores.
It couldn’t be more versatile or easier to use. Unlike its cousin sour cream, creme fraiche won’t curdle at high temperatures, so you can stir it into a simmering sauce, soup or stew for instant tangy richness.
Or use it to top a savory tart or a fiery salsa. Spread it on toasted baguette slices, then pile on smoked salmon, caviar or roasted peppers for quick canapes. Or whirl those roasted peppers with creme fraiche for a terrific crudites dip.
L.A. chefs are spooning it with abandon these days. In Culver City, Ford’s Filling Station chef Ben Ford uses creme fraiche for balance in a cured salmon salad with cucumber and pickled onions. At Wilshire restaurant in Santa Monica, chef Christopher Blobaum tops carrot soup with cumin-spiked creme fraiche.
Perfect foil
AT A.O.C. in West Hollywood, chef Suzanne Goin mashes fingerling potatoes with butter and Italian parsley, then stirs in a generous dollop of house-made creme fraiche. Luscious, nutty and a little tangy, it’s delicious with those earthy potatoes. “The potatoes are the perfect foil for the creamy, tart creme fraiche,” says Goin. At Lucques, Goin’s other restaurant, she uses creme fraiche with smoked haddock, beets, cucumbers and potato blinis to bridge the bold flavors.
It heightens the drama of pastries -- Goin plays it against a caramel and chocolate tart with Spanish peanut brittle. Or it can add a welcome high note to ice cream and custard recipes -- you can substitute creme fraiche to taste for a portion of the heavy cream. (One part creme fraiche to three parts heavy cream is a good place to start.)
Or just spoon it onto summer fruits, such as sweet, juicy strawberries or blackberries -- or perfectly ripe peaches.
You won’t be able to make creme fraiche in the traditional manner -- using raw cream -- unless you happen to own a herd of dairy cows. California and a few other states do allow the retail sale of certified raw milk products, but the raw cream on the market generally has too low a bacteria count for the fermentation to start naturally. So whether you’re using raw or pasteurized cream, you’ll need to jump-start the process with a starter. Cultured buttermilk does the job nicely.
To make creme fraiche, just warm some heavy cream (raw or pasteurized) and pour it into a container with a little buttermilk. Use a wide, shallow container -- you want plenty of surface area to encourage fermentation. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm place overnight -- a warm pantry, atop a gas stove or in an unheated oven. Around 80 degrees is ideal.
The next day, a thick, deliciously tangy creme fraiche will have materialized. It’s that simple.
Usually. Creme fraiche, even made with pasteurized cream, can be unpredictable and finicky. Leave it to ferment somewhere that’s too warm or cool, or use cream with too low a fat content, and the process may go awry. If the environment is too cool, the buttermilk’s friendly bacteria will never ferment the cream. Too warm, and the bacteria will die before they get going. And lower-fat creams, such as heavy cream (as opposed to heavy whipping cream), will work, but they won’t set up quite as well or get as thick as creme fraiche made from heavy whipping cream.
And the results if you use raw cream can be even less predictable.
Creme fraiche queen
FOR this reason, Sadie Kendall, owner of Kendall Farms, a dairy farm in Atascadero, uses pasteurized cream to make her creme fraiche. “In raw cream,” Kendall says, “the lack of pasteurization results in an inconsistent product. Sometimes it tastes wonderful, sometimes awful.”
Goin relies on Colleen Hennessey, a line cook who’s fondly known as “the creme fraiche queen,” to make the creme fraiche for both Lucques and A.O.C. Hennessey prefers a stainless steel container to glass for fermenting, explaining that stainless yields the silkiest, smoothest product. And she uses a double-ferment method: She ferments it once, then lets the creme fraiche rest in the refrigerator for six to eight hours. Then she brings it out for a second fermentation, after which it’s back to the fridge for 24 hours to let the flavors marry.
“I call it the ‘in and out’ method,” Hennessey says. “It’s a mystery, but it almost always works. You’ll know when you see clear liquid at the bottom of your container that you’ve got a good ferment.”
Once you’ve made (or bought) creme fraiche, you might want to whip it, especially if you’re using it as a garnish for a dessert or serving it with fruit. If you plan to whip a store-bought creme fraiche, make sure it is made from 100% heavy whipping cream or it won’t whip (see story below). A brief whirl in the electric mixer yields irresistibly soft, pillowy mounds. Stir in a little sugar and you’ve got whipped cream, only better.
Mound whipped creme fraiche atop juicy fruit pies or dollop it on a slice of flourless dark chocolate cake. Better yet, sandwich your tart, whipped creme fraiche between crunchy, toasted almond tuiles, pile on tangy, sweet strawberries or peaches, and drizzle with a punchy raspberry sauce.
One bite and you may never do without creme fraiche again.
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Creme fraiche
Total time: 2 minutes, plus two days standing time and overnight refrigerating time
Servings: 16
2 cups heavy whipping cream
4 tablespoons cultured buttermilk
1. Heat the cream and buttermilk in a saucepan to 100 degrees. Remove the mixture from the heat and pour it into a glass container. Cover with plastic wrap and store in a warm spot for 24 hours, until somewhat thickened.
2. Put the creme fraiche in the refrigerator overnight. Take it out of the refrigerator and let it sit in a warm spot for another 24 hours. This will further thicken the creme fraiche.
3. Put the creme fraiche back in the refrigerator until ready to use. It will keep for up to 10 days refrigerated.
Each serving of 2 tablespoons: 104 calories; 1 gram protein; 1 gram carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 11 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 41 mg. cholesterol; 15 mg. sodium.
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Fingerling potatoes with creme fraiche and chives
Total time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Note: Adapted from chef-owner Suzanne Goin of Lucques restaurant
1 1/4 pounds small fingerling
potatoes
1 tablespoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons butter ( 1/2 stick), cut into pieces
3/4 teaspoon fleur de sel
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
6 tablespoons creme fraiche
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons sliced chives,
1-inch long
1. Place the potatoes in a medium pot and cover with cold water by at least 4 inches. Add 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer gently for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender when pierced. Drain the potatoes and set aside, reserving a cup of the potato water.
2. Return the potatoes to the pot over medium heat and smash them slightly with a hand masher.
3. Add the butter and fleur de sel. Stir to coat the potatoes with the butter.
4. Add about 3 tablespoons of the reserved potato water to help coat and glaze the potatoes. Adjust seasonings and stir in the parsley.
5. To serve, place one-half cup potatoes on a serving plate. Top with a generous tablespoon of creme fraiche, a pinch of cracked black pepper and chives.
Each serving: 308 calories; 4 grams protein; 30 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 20 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 61 mg. cholesterol; 238 mg. sodium.
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Strawberry napoleons with creme fraiche and almond tuiles
Total time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Note: The recipe for tuiles makes 42 cookies -- more than you will need for the napoleons. You can make the batter a day ahead, refrigerate and bring to room temperature before baking.
Toasted almond tuiles
5 ounces sliced almonds, toasted (about 1 1/2 cups)
2/3 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 egg whites
1/3 cup flour, sifted
1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a food processor, grind the almonds and one-third cup sugar until it is a coarse consistency, about 18 pulses.
3. In an electric mixer, cream the butter with one-third cup sugar for 1 minute, until well incorporated. Add salt, cream and ground almond mixture. Mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
4. Add the egg whites and mix well. Add the flour and mix until incorporated.
5. Make a template by tracing a 3-inch round cookie cutter onto a thin piece of cardboard. Cut out the circle and trim the template to within 1 inch around the hole in the cardboard.
6. Place the template on a Silpat-lined half-sheet baking pan. Spoon 1 rounded teaspoon of batter into the template. Using an offset spatula, smooth the batter as evenly as possible in the template, trying not to leave any holes in the batter. Space the tuiles several inches apart.
7. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, rotating after 3 minutes, until the tuiles are dark golden brown around the edges and golden in the center. They will not brown evenly. Watch carefully during the final minute because they burn easily. Let cool completely on the Silpat, then gently lift the cookies off the baking sheet.
Fresh raspberry sauce
1 pint (about 1 1/2 cups) fresh raspberries
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
In a blender, puree the raspberries with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Taste for sweetness, adding more sugar if needed. The sauce should be tart, not overly sweet. Strain to remove the seeds. Store the puree in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Napoleons assembly
2 cups strawberries, sliced 1/4 -inch thick
1/4 teaspoon plus 1 generous pinch lemon zest
6 teaspoons sugar, divided
1 cup halved strawberries
1 cup raspberries
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup homemade creme fraiche, chilled
1 recipe fresh raspberry sauce
18 toasted almond tuiles
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted
1. In a small bowl, toss the sliced strawberries with one-fourth teaspoon lemon zest and 2 teaspoons of sugar.
2. In another bowl, toss the halved strawberries and the raspberries with a generous pinch of lemon zest, lemon juice and 2 teaspoons of sugar.
3. Whip the creme fraiche with 2 teaspoons of sugar to soft peaks. If your creme fraiche is too thick or does not whip well, add one-fourth cup of heavy whipping cream and whip again.
4. Use a large spoon to draw a wide circle of raspberry sauce on each plate, using about 1 tablespoon of sauce per plate.
5. Place a drop of raspberry sauce in the center of each plate to anchor the dessert. Top with a tuile. Place a single layer of strawberry slices on the tuile (4 to 5 slices). Top with 1 tablespoon of creme fraiche and another tuile. Repeat the strawberry and creme fraiche layer. Top with a third tuile. Garnish with a small dollop of creme fraiche and a sprinkle of toasted almonds.
6. Place one-fourth cup of the halved strawberries and the raspberries to the side of each napoleon.
Each serving: 411 calories; 6 grams protein; 37 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams fiber; 30 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 80 mg. cholesterol; 72 mg. sodium.