Normandy style creme fraiche

I first tasted this creme fraiche a few years ago, when my friend Mme. J, who grew up in Normandy, offered me a taste of her cold seafood salad.  It was chilled, fresh, and creamy, with a smooth sauce of some sort, which she identified as creme fraiche - but it was unlike any creme fraiche I had ever tried - and much better than mayonnaise.  When she offered me the recipe I grabbed a pen - she laughed and said it was very simple.  Equal parts heavy cream and sour cream, shaken in a jar and left on the counter overnight.

I make this a lot in the summer months, and actually prefer it to whipped cream on cold fruit salads and shortcakes.  I use it alongside cold poached fish or crabmeat, summer composed salads and pasta salads, as well, sometimes adding fresh minced herbs.  It has a fresh taste , unlike mayonnaise,  which is far saltier.  It has a smooth finish, without an aftertaste of lemon juice.


Normandy style creme fraiche

In a clean Mason jar measure :

1 cup heavy cream (I used Hood's)
1 cup sour cream (Hood's again)

Stir the creams briefly, then screw on the clean lid.  Tighten and shake for a minute or so, then place the jar on the counter.  Write the time you made it on the lid and let sit at least 12 hours.

Unscrew the lid and spoon out a taste - the creme should be very thick.  Store the jar in the fridge for up to a week.

After a lot of rain the last few days, it's a beautiful sunny day today - hooray for summer!

one minute creme fraiche

I'm still celebrating Christmas, thanks to the ice storm we had. My delightful French friend from Normandy surprised me with a deep green caramelized onion and fresh pea soup ( I'll have to get the recipe, absolutely!) served with this homemade creme fraiche.

I tasted and raised my eyebrows - deliciously tangy but smooth, perfect creamy texture - where did she find this? And Mme. B. pulled a jar from her fridge, offered me a spoon, and tossed off the recipe.

You will need:

1 clean jar

1 small container of heavy cream ( 1 cup)

1 small container of sour cream ( 1 cup)

And that's it.

Pour the cream into the jar, add the sour cream, twist on the lid - and shake hard. Leave the jar at room temperature for about 24 hours and stir. Store in the fridge for up to a week.

Use as thickener or swirls in soups, in dips, as a topping for fresh fruit compote - I'm sure you can come up with a million uses.

And the clementines? Just so pretty with the sun shining on them .