Name: Crème Fraîche
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 2 cups
Ingredients: 2 cups heavy cream; 2 tablespoons buttermilk

Condiments

Crème Fraîche

Author: Mary DiSomma

Crème fraîche (French for—you guessed it—”fresh cream”) is basically just cultured or soured heavy cream. That’s it. It's kind of like sour cream, only so much better. The main difference is that crème fraîche is fattier and thicker than sour cream and Mexican crema. It makes a super simple topping with tons of applications in the kitchen. And by the way, it’s freakin’ delicious. Because crème fraîche has a high fat content, that makes it super stable. If you want to make your soup creamier, this stuff won't curdle. A little dollop added to a batch of homemade whip cream, will keep it from separating. In fact, throw a little sugar in it and you don't need whipped cream at all. I always serve this with my Feast of Seven Fishes Pie recipe on Christmas Eve, but you can find so many ways to enjoy it!

Crème Fraîche

Crème fraîche is a thickened soured cream. Although you can find it at specialty markets, it’s easy to make at home. You just need to remember to make it ahead – the mixture needs to sit at room temperature for 12 hours.

Yield: 2 cups
Prep Time: 5 minutes 5 min
Cook Time: 0 minutes0 min
Total Time: 5 minutes 5 min

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons buttermilk

Instructions

Combine the buttermilk and cream in a non-reactive (not metal) container. I usually use a glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit at room temperature for 12 hours, The mixture will thicken as it sits. Store in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to two weeks

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Tips

Because crème fraîche has a high fat content, that makes it super stable. If you want to make your soup creamier, this stuff won't curdle. A little dollop added to a batch of homemade whip cream, will keep it from separating. In fact, throw a little sugar in it and you don't need whipped cream at all.

It's kind of like sour cream, only so much better. The main difference between sour cream and crème fraîche is that crème fraîche is fattier and thicker than sour cream and Mexican crema. It's richer, nuttier, and tangier than sour cream, and best of all, crème fraîche is super easy to make at home. I always serve this with my Feast of Seven Fishes Pie recipe on Christmas Eve, but you can find so many ways to enjoy crème fraîche. So, let’s give it a try.