Creme Fraiche

Gingerbee's Note:

Creme Fraiche (pronounced "fresh") is not an item easily found in local grocery stores, in certain parts of the country. The French use it often in cooking and whenever a recipe called for this ingredient, of course, I didn't have it! Then Food & Wine published it and I use it again and again. I always have it on hand in the refrigerator just "in case" I have to use my imagination and whip up a sauce for something fast! A tablespoon of creme fraiche swished into the drippings of any pan roasted pork chop or chicken breast (& a dash of white wine) turns it into an amazing meal. If you don't know about this wonderful cream, try it and you'll find more uses to this "secret" ingredient :)

• Total Time: 2 mins
• Prep Time: 2 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 2 cups

• 1 pint heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons cultured buttermilk

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream and buttermilk.
2. Cover the bowl with a towel and let stand in a warm place until thickened, about 12 hours.
3. When thickened, cover bowl tightly and refrigerate until well chilled, 2 to 3 hours.
4. The Creme Fraiche can be refrgerated, tightly covered for up to 2 weeks.

Reviews

[HeatherFeather]

I am delighted to now have this great recipe for creme fraiche! I often make recipes that call for creme fraiche,which can be a pricey and hard to find ingredient in the USA. My local grocery just stopped carrying creme fraiche, so I decided to give this recipe a try. It was surprisingly simple to prepare and came out perfectly. I halved the recipe and it came out just right.

[Dreamgoddess]

I had posted a question in the forum looking for substitutes for sour cream (DH hates the taste of sour cream) and was told to try Creme Fraiche. I made this recipe over the weekend and used it tonight in Inez's Beef Noodle Paprikash. It was wonderful! It actually took about 36 hours for it to thicken up nicely, but it was worth it. Thanks for such a great recipe and huge thanks to all those who gave me suggestions for a substitute.

[The_Swedish_Chef]

Simple, easy, inexpensive and superior results! What more could you ask for in a recipe? I adore creme fraiche but at $5.00 for a tiny container...when you can find it...not always do-able. I always have buttermilk in the frig and whipping cream is super easy to find and many times on sale. I love to make this plain, or, add vanilla or Grand Marnier, amaretto, whatever flavors will compliment what you are serving it with, and you can use creme fraiche where ever you would use cream cheese. It's marvelous as a spread on warm quick bread with any of the flavourings added to it. Have also used chopped chives or dill to it for a dip or spread. Just be sure to NOT use Ultra-Pasteurized Whipping Cream; it sometimes will refuse to "set up." Great recipe!!!