This week I made my very own creme fraiche!
But before you get too excited and heap me with praise; I have to confess how easy it was.
It was so easy, it's almost embarrassing to write up the recipe here for you to share.
My desire to make creme fraiche came about thanks to Jamie Oliver. I was tired of the same round of family meals and was looking for something different.
Jamie has a chicken pie recipe in his 30 Minute Meals that sounded promising, but it called for creme fraiche.
I didn't know what this was or what I might be able to substitute it with.
Along came google.
Creme fraiche is a French sour cream containing about 28% butterfat and bacterial culture. It is less sour and more creamier than 'sour cream'.
The bad news was that King Island who seemed to be the only people making creme fraiche in Australia had discontinued the line a couple of years ago.
The good news was...it's dead easy to make your own.
In a clean, glass jar combine 1 cup of thickened cream and 2 tabs of buttermilk.
That's it!
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Really!
Simply let the covered glass jar sit at room temperature (25-30° C) for 8-24hrs. Then stir well and refridgerate for up to 10 days.
Various tips abounded online that I will experiment with as time goes by.
Add a little more buttermilk and it will thicken faster, but taste less creamy.
Add less buttermilk and it will take longer to thicken but taste creamier.
Add seeds from a vanilla pod for a sweeter option (or honey or maple syrup).
Add a dollop of nut butter and a drizzle of honey for a nuttier flavour.
Stir through pasta with fresh herbs.
Add a squeeze of lemon juice and chives and serve with smoked salmon.
Add brown sugar and serve with fruit.
PS - the chicken pie was a great hit even though it had vegetables in it!
PPS - when I got to the supermarket I found another brand of creme fraiche was now available, but I was all psyched up to make my own and left it where it was.
Bon Appetit!
Well done, for taking that step into the unknown, even if it turned out to be relatively simple. I didn't know King Island had stopped making creme fraiche- I used to buy it years ago, though I can't remember what I made with it, perhaps it was before meals trying to tempt a child to eat. Glad to hear your chicken pie was a winner too.
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