River Cottage A-Z

Fresh cream is also legendarily delicious with fresh, raw fruit, of course – its mild sweetness balancing the acidity of strawberries, raspberries, peaches or blueberries to perfection. This is why ridiculously easy puds such as Eton mess and cranachan, which simply augment fruit and cream with something a little crisp or crunchy, are so much greater than the sum of their parts.

Cream is full of saturated fat, of course, and has long been demonised because of this. However, the perceived danger of saturated fats in the diet in relation to heart disease is now being questioned, and the potentially harmful role of other elements, such as excessive sugar and polyunsaturated fats, scrutinised. We cannot eat cream (and lard and butter) with impunity, not least because they are so rich in calories. But I for one would rather enjoy real organic cream in moderation than some ‘lite’ alternative, rammed with palm oil, emulsifiers and colouring. Calorific it may be, but cream is a deeply satisfying ingredient.

TYPES OF CREAM

Single cream With a mere 18 per cent minimum fat, this is the sort of cream you might pour into your coffee, and there is nothing better to cool your breakfast porridge. It’s not much thicker than milk, not rich enough to whip, and prone to curdling if boiled – but is a great way to enrich soups at the last minute or to use in pannacottas.

Whipping cream Cream needs at least 30 per cent fat to whip up satisfactorily. Whipping cream has a minimum of 35 per cent fat, making it lighter than double cream, but still nicely whipable. As with double cream, it fluffs up better when well chilled.

Double cream While rich, double cream retains a very good pouring consistency, making it perfect for draping over puddings. With a minimum 48 per cent fat, it whips up easily to a billowy mousse and is stable enough to boil with other ingredients without curdling – hence its use in rich, reduced savoury sauces. It is essential for a classic custard, whether crème anglaise or for crème brûlée, ice cream or tarte aux citron, as well as savoury quiche fillings. For a slightly lighter pudding-finisher, combine double cream with an equal quantity of wholemilk yoghurt and whip to soft peaks.

Soured cream Soured cream is to cream as yoghurt is to milk. A bacterial culture is introduced to single cream and allowed to go to work, producing lactic acid that thickens and sours it. Soured cream is light and sharp enough to work fantastically well in savoury dishes – superb alongside chillies, or stirred into stroganoffs. It’s great forked into mashed potato with chives or used to bind a rough and ready smoked mackerel pâté. Soured cream is used in cheesecakes to give that lovely, subtle tang, and is a fine baking ingredient, adding more richness than milk, and reacting with alkaline raising agents to produce great lift.

Crème fraîche Another form of cultured cream, this is hugely versatile. With 30–40 per cent fat, it is richer than soured cream, and not as sour. It is less rich than double cream but, with its glorious, thick texture (a result of the bacterial culturing), you’d never know it. Crème fraîche has great keeping properties too: a tub stored in the fridge at around 3°C will keep for a fortnight, making it very useful for impromptu additions to recipes. I also particularly love the slightly tangy flavour of crème fraîche, which cuts its richness beautifully. Crème fraîche d’Isigny, from northern France, is a particularly fine example.

Clotted cream A West Country speciality, this unctuous, golden-crusted delight is traditionally made by allowing cream to rise to the top of a shallow pan of milk (or, these days, pouring centrifuged cream on to a layer of milk), then heating to 80–90°C. Once cooled, the cream forms a splendid crust and develops a unique, thick, gloopy texture. Clotted cream boasts anything up to a luxurious 64 per cent fat content – it is by far the richest of all the creams, making it fit to take the place of butter in a cream tea with scones and jam. You can mix it into things – a sauce or a batch of fudge, say – but it is best enjoyed just as it comes.

Mascarpone This is actually a kind of unsalted cheese, made largely from cream, with a fat content of around 44 per cent. Its considerable richness is balanced by a delicate acidity, which makes it an excellent ingredient in cheesecakes. It can even be whipped like cream.