“Crème fraiche is a thickened heavy cream, made in France by simply allowing the naturally present lactic acid and other friendly bacteria in raw cream to multiply. The result is a very thick, faintly tangy cream, less sour than sour cream, with a slightly sweet, very rich smooth flavour. In North America, sadly, raw crème fraiche is prohibited…. Once you have tried it, I promise, you will find uses for it you never dreamed of: as an alternative to whipped cream ice cream, or crème anglaise beside fresh fruit, tarts, pies, cakes, biscuits, even pancakes, waffles and French toast. If you like, sweeten it with a little honey or sugar. It can even be added to cooked sauces and stews and wil not curdle the way other dairy products do. It keeps beautifully, and only gets better, thicker and more tangy as it ages.”
¼ cup buttermilk 2 cups heavy cream
In a non-reactive pitcher or bowl, stir the buttermilk into the cream. Cover the container with a piece of plastic wrap and place it in a warm, draught-free place. Be careful the place you put the cream is not actually hot, or the bacteria in the mixture will be killed. Think of a nice hot day; that’s about the right temperature. Leave the mixture covered for about 24 hours. Don’t worry about the cream going bad; the benign live bacteria in the buttermilk will multiply and protect the cream from any harmful bacteria.
Remove the cover and gently jiggle the pitcher or bowl. The crème fraiche should be thickened and somewhere between the consistency of jelly and sour cream. If it still looks runny, the temperature was likely too cool. Move the container to a warmer spot, cover again and leave it for another 12 hours. When the consistency looks right, re-cover the container and transfer ot the refrigerator. The crème fraiche can be made up to 2 weeks ahead. - Updated: January 19, 2007
