From Scratch

By suburban standards, Manhattan supermarkets are tiny so I always assumed if they sold something, larger stores everywhere did. Not so. Even though many recipes call for it, crème fraîche is not a staple in every dairy aisle is America, as I learned when I moved to New England. Of five markets I use, only two carry crème fraîche and both are too far to “run to” for an item; one’s about 25 miles away.

You might be in a similar situation or perhaps nobody in your area carries this wonderful stuff. Fortunately, it’s simple to make and I often do, although the crème fraîche in the photo is store-bought, showing the consistency to aim for. Make it with just two everyday ingredients: heavy cream and sour cream. The only drawback is that it must be started a day in advance. Small price to pay, in my opinion.

A few words about what it is, if you’re unfamiliar with it. The name means fresh cream in French and it’s similar to crema in Mexican cuisine. Crème fraîche is commonly used in many ways: dolloped onto fruit or soups, as a filling for crepes, even in mashed potatoes. It’s a traditional accompaniment to caviar too, but that’s not an issue in this house. I love it with fresh fruit, often as a dip; it’s sweeter than sour cream or plain yogurt alone.

You only need a bowl and a whisk to make it. You can see it’s thick but similar to the soft-peak stage of whipped cream. If you can find heavy cream that’s not ultra-pasteurized, usually sold at health food stores, it works best but supermarket heavy cream gets the job done too.

Crème Fraîche

1/2 cup/4 oz heavy or whipping cream
1/2 cup/4 oz full-fat sour cream

Whisk the two together in a non-reactive bowl (glass, crockery or plastic) and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let stand at warm room temperature (about 70 degrees) for 12 hours to let it mature. It will be thick and slightly tart at the end of that time. [note-in a cold kitchen in the winter, this can take up to 24 hours~ella]

Stir and transfer to the refrigerator. Chill, covered, for at least 4 hours before serving.

This will keep up to a week in the fridge and will become somewhat more tart as it continues to mature.

Makes 1 cup.

Ella’s notes: This can be whipped for a fluffier topping. If you wish, you can add a bit of honey to the finished crème fraîche, up to 3 Tablespoons for this amount. That’s a good combo for grilled bananas.

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