from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com
Crème Fraîche d'Isigny sur Mer, AOC/AOP, 40% fat.
France’s top-rated crème fraiche.
There is no English translation for crème fraîche; it is a uniquely French creation and so crème fraiche it remains in English. (English translations mostly miss out on the accent over the i but that is all).
What is
Crème fraiche has a creamy texture, and while it is not at all like sour cream or yogurt then neither is it a sweet cream. Crème fraîche is a pasteurized and naturally thickened cow’s milk with most offerings having 30%, or more, fat. The unique taste of crème fraiche comes from the milk bacteria that are added. This bacterium, originally, when made with non-pasteurized milk was a natural occurrence, now it is a supervised and inspected addition.
Crème fraiche has a creamy texture, and
while it is not at all like sour cream or yogurt then neither is it a sweet
cream. Crème fraîche is pasteurized and naturally thickened cow’s milk with
most offerings having 30%, or more, fat. The unique taste of crème fraiche
comes from the milk bacteria that are added.
This bacteria, originally, when made with non-pasteurized milk was a
natural occurrence, now it is a supervised and inspected addition.
Berries with crème fraiche
www.flickr.com/photos/roseannadana/14637118730/
Crème Fraîche in French Cuisine.
French chefs use crème fraiche in many more
sauce recipes than they will for sweet cream. It is crème fraiche that produces
much of that important, je ne sais quoi; that inexplicable, different, creamy
taste, to French sauces, soups, and other recipes. Crème Fraiche, sour cream, and yogurt all use
particular bacteria to give them their tastes. Crème fraiche is added to other
ingredients when served cold; you will note it is much thicker than sour cream
though it does not have the tang of sour cream or yogurt. To cooked dishes,
crème fraiche adds its unique taste and does not curdle like sour cream.
Crème fraiche is genuinely different; if a chef makes a sauce or soup with fresh cream or sour cream then a decidedly different taste is achieved; taste the same dish with crème fraiche, and your mouth will pop as you appreciate the difference.
Citrus pavlova with crème fraiche mousse
www.flickr.com/photos/ralphandjenny/15815581804/
Crème Fraîche on French menus:
Escalope de Veau à la Crème Fraîche et aux Cèpes – A boneless cut of veal prepared with crème fraiche and France’s own porcini mushrooms.
Saumon Fumé par nos Soins, Mini Blinis et sa Crème Fraîche – Our home smoked Atlantic salmon served with mini blinis and crème fraiche. (A blini is a traditional Russian pancake made from buckwheat flour).
Œuf Coulant Sur Une Sauce Maroilles Et Crème Fraîche – A soft boiled runny egg served with a Maroilles cheese sauce made with crème fraiche.
Faisselle Du Vercors Avec Coulis De Fruits Rouges ou Crème Fraîche – A faisselle includes many soft fresh cheeses that may be made with cow’s milk, goat’s milk, and or sheep’s milk. This faisselle is served with a fruit coulis, a puree of red fruits and crème fraiche. (Here the cheese comes from Vercors and the Vercors Massif includes rugged plateaus and mountains to the west of the city of Grenoble in the region of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and is part of the French pre-Alps. (The super region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes was created on 1-1-2016 when France reduced the number of regions in mainland France from 22 to 13).
Noix de St Jacques Poêlées au Beurre Persillé et Crème Fraîche - The meat of the king scallop lightly fried with parsley butter and crème fraiche.
La Tarte Tatin Tiède Et Sa Crème Fraîche Vanillée - A warm Tart Tatin served with vanilla flavored crème fraiche.
Tiny toasts with
smoked salmon crème fraiche and dill.
www.flickr.com/photos/16993229@N06/6610151709/
Today crème fraiche is available in the larger supermarkets around the world, from the USA to Australia; only a few countries that are exposed to French cuisine do not have at least one local producer of crème fraiche.
Pan-fried lightly smoked salmon.
With horseradish-mustard creme fraiche and fennel flowers
www.flickr.com/photos/adactio/6059465231/
All over France crème fraiche is produced
by dairies large and small; however, one
small town, along with its surrounding villages, is recognized as the producer
of the very best crème fraiche the Crème Fraîche d’Isigny AOP.
Isigny sur Mer in Normandy is in the department of Calvados
so famous for its apple brandy of the same name. With a population of 12,000
Isigny sur Mer apart from crème fraiche also produce an AOP butter, the Beurre
d'Isigny AOP and a whole range of other excellent butter and milk
products. You may be sure that a large
percentage of the population from Isigny sur Mer, from all the generations, are
involved 24/7 in making their unique milk products. When you are visiting
Calvados in search of their famous apple brandy, consider stopping for lunch in
one of Isigny’s local restaurants where crème fraiche and Calvados will be part
of many dishes on the menu.
Homemade crème fraiche.
Recipes for homemade crème fraîche mostly include mixing sour cream, yogurt, and buttermilk. (Buttermilk is the liquid left over from making butter and not to be confused with whey which is the liquid left over from making cheese). None of these recipes has a result truly close to real crème fraiche, but they remain the closest option in countries where real crème fraiche is still not available.
Chilled asparagus
soup.
With that essential
ingredient crème fraiche.
www.flickr.com/photos/stuart_spivack/2476719729/
Crème Fraîche or Crème Fraîche Epaisse
When the label reads Crème Fraîche Épaisse then that is the full name for crème fraiche that has 30% or more fat; there is no legal upper limit on the percentage of fat. Look for the percentage mark next to the word grasse on the label. (Grasse translates as fat in English). The word épaisse may translate as thick in your French-English travel dictionary; however, Crème Fraîche Épaisse is the standard crème fraîche.
Yoplait Crème Fraîche
Low fat crème fraiche with 15% fat
Low fat crème fraiche with 15% fat
Low fat crème fraiche means less than 30% fat, and depending on the producer it may be as low as 15%. There may be some out there that have a lower fat content, but I have never seen crème fraiche with less than 15% fat.
-----------------------------------
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com
Copyright 2010, 2013, 2017, 2019.
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Connected posts:
Calvados – The Most Famous Apple Brandy in the World. Calvados on French Menus.
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Caviar in France. The Different Caviars on French Menus. Sturgeon, the fish, Esturgeon on French menus.
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