make your own crème fraîche and cultured butter

if you've already mastered making your own yogurt (which I posted about last month), you're ready to start making your own crème fraîche, and from that, cultured butter, which is delicious and surprisingly easy!

first, start by making crème fraîche:

1 quart heavy cream

2 tablespoons either buttermilk or live, active, plain yogurt (homemade or store-bought)

note: I use my homemade yogurt, and it works perfectly, though the buttermilk method also works quite well. if you start making your own butter, you'll end up with your own cultured buttermilk as well! my yogurt, crème fraîche, buttermilk (and to a lesser extent, the butter) all contain the same culture.

sterilize your equipment: thermometer, pot in which you're heating the cream, whisk/or spoon used to add the culture (buttermilk or yogurt). most of the recipes I've read instruct to warm the cream to 110 F first, then to innoculate with culture (whisk in the buttermilk or yogurt) and allow to stand, covered, in a warm spot for 8-12 or more hours. ***yet another "do as I say, not as I do:" I've found that when using UHT (ultra-high temperature) pasteurized cream (which is ALL I can find around here), I don't have to bother with heating the cream at all to start it, so I skip this step.*** I like using my heavy Le Creuset dutch oven for this, even if I'm not heating the cream. my gas oven, which has a pilot light that's constantly on, keeps whatever I'm culturing right at the perfect temperature (about 110 F), and when I use store-bought yogurt, or my homemade yogurt or buttermilk to culture it, it's always nice and thick (like sour cream) and perfectly tangy at 8-10 hours (it seems to take a few hours longer when I've used commercial buttermilk). if I want it more liquid and only slightly tangy, I make sure to check it at 6 hours. any way you like it, culture to your taste, then pack into sterile containers (I use glass canning jars) and refrigerate. it keeps for about a week.

the above recipe makes a LOT of crème fraîche; more than I'd ever use in a week! it's easy to make a half recipe or even a quarter the volume; I make a whole quart so that I can take about 3/4 of it and make my own cultured butter:

3 cups of chilled crème fraîche

salt to taste, if desired

get your equipment set up before you start whipping the cream. you'll need either a food processor or electric beaters and a bowl, a quart or more of ice water in a pitcher, a large clean jug or measuring cup (one that holds 1 quart or more) into which you'll strain the buttermilk, a medium-large fine strainer/sieve and a large bowl in which you'll clean the butter (using the ice water). if you want to add salt to the butter, you'll also need a clean cutting board to knead it in.

I use my food processor to make butter, fitted with the "s" blade. put all of the crème fraîche into the food processor bowl and process for several minutes OR put all of the crème fraîche into a bowl and start beating it with your electric beaters. whichever method you use, be sure to listen to the sound of the cream being beaten. there will be a significant change when it breaks down into butter and buttermilk, and the buttermilk will start to splash around. at that point you will see clumps of pale yellow butter floating in white buttermilk. stop processing, place the strainer over the jug (or large measuring cup) and pour the mixture in. the strainer will catch the butter, and the buttermilk will flow into the jug. pour the buttermilk into a clean jar (3 cups of crème fraîche will yield about a pint of buttermilk) and use in pancakes, waffles, or any other recipe for which you'd use regular buttermilk. you can also freeze it for later use. keep the strainer over the jug and pick up the butter, squeezing out as much liquid as possible, then place it into a bowl and pour ice water over it. knead the butter in the ice water for a few minutes, then pour off the water. add more ice water and knead again; continue pouring off, adding fresh ice water and kneading until the liquid you pour off is clear. at that point, the butter has been cleaned of all buttermilk and will keep well. if you want to add salt to it, you can knead in a small amount (to taste) on a cutting board. shape the butter however you'd like: you can press it into ramekins, or form it into sticks or logs. cover ramekins with plastic wrap, and wrap sticks or logs first in wax paper, then in foil or plastic wrap. I usually keep one stick in the fridge to use and freeze the others until I need them. use the butter as is, bake with it; whatever you'd like. it's heavenly.

I have found that I like to use crème fraîche on my toast instead of my usual butter, especially on good, crusty sourdough bread. the rich, tangy taste is just a tiny bit better on toast than my gorgeous homemade butter, and I figure over time, maybe I'm saving my body from having to deal with a few more grams of fat (not much, but what the heck). the cultured butter I make is even better than cultured butter I've bought at the store (and of course it costs much less to make it at home), and it's also excellent on toast, so if you prefer, make *all* of your crème fraîche into butter.

now I need to find or develop a truly excellent recipe for buttermilk bread, so I can use mine up! the buttermilk that results from making cultured butter is delicious; slightly tangy and very refreshing. I can actually understand why people drink buttermilk now! I usually drink a small glass of it each time I make butter. enjoy!

the best homemade frozen yogurt

this will be easiest with an ice cream freezer (I have a small Cuisinart that's ideal, but for the life of me, I can't locate the freezer bowl, darn it!), but can still be made without too much work using a food processor and, of course, a freezer. the following recipe is for the flavor I happen to like best (lemon), but feel free to vary it by leaving out the lemon zest/juice and adding vanilla or any other flavor you desire. I occasionally reduce the amount of lemon, and add 2 pints of washed, hulled, pureed strawberries -- use/add whatever sounds good to you.

1 quart (give or take -- this isn't exact science) greek-style yogurt
zest and juice of 3 lemons (again, more or less is fine)
1/2-2/3 cup sugar (you know the drill here by now)
(optional: 1-1/2 - 2 cups pureed fruit, lemon and sugar adjusted as desired)

combine the yogurt, zest, juice and sugar (and optional fruit) in a food processor fitted with an s-blade and check for flavor. remember, freezing will reduce the flavor levels somewhat, so make it just a little too lemony and a tiny bit too sweet -- when frozen, it will be PERFECT.
1. if you have an ice cream maker, dump it in and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions.
2. if you don't, scrape the yogurt mixture into a plastic container that's large enough to leave plenty of room for expansion, and also for you to get in there and stir it around a lot as it freezes (to break up ice crystals as they form). stir it with a heavy spoon or a sturdy whisk every 30 - 60 minutes, until well frozen. beat it well, then leave it to freeze for several hours. when you come back to check it, it will be frozen a bit too hard, so break it into chunks and puree it in the food processor until creamy and smooth (you can add a little extra un-frozen yogurt to facilitate this; it's also the ideal time to adjust the flavors). re-freeze for a few hours and it's done.

it's hard to think of anything more refreshing than creamy, tart, lemony frozen yogurt. I hope you all enjoy it!

p.s. it's also really good with NO flavoring other than sugar, and maybe a tiny pinch of salt. Japanese matcha tea powder is another fantastic addition -- have fun with it!

best greek yogurt ever

this is so easy it's ridiculous! this method makes rich, creamy yogurt that you'll want to consume in outrageous quantities. when I was a kid, my dad went through a yogurt-making phase, but we never knew to strain it to make this wonderful greek-style yogurt. I happen to think my method's a bit easier (the hubris of a child!). here it is:

1 gallon whole milk (or other, depending on your needs/taste; this is just what I prefer)
1 cup fresh, unadulterated yogurt (when I first started making my own yogurt, I used my favorite brand of greek-style yogurt, but now I just save a cup of each batch I make to innoculate the subsequent batch of yogurt)

heat the gallon of whole milk to 175-185 F (***do as I SAY, not as I do: I find that milk tastes too "cooked" for my taste at 185 F, so I heat to about 150 F without problems***) -- use a food thermometer for this -- DON'T GUESS! heat it slowly, so it won't get scorched on the bottom
fill your sink with ice water and plunge the pot into it to cool the milk to 110 F (again, use the thermometer for accuracy), making sure the water level is appoximately equal to the level of yogurt in the pot
add the cup of yogurt to the cooled milk, whisking thoroughly
cover up the pot and place it where it will maintain its temperature for 6-8 hours (I use my gas oven, off, but with the pilot light on, and it works perfectly)

after the time is up, check the yogurt: it should be thickened and somewhat tart (leave it another hour or two if you want it thicker and/or more tart). it will be NOWHERE near as thick as the final product we're making, though; first we have to drain off about half of the whey. to do that:

sterilize ALL the following equipment, including the cheesecloth (or other fabric used to strain the yogurt): colander, cheesecloth, large glass bowl, large plate
line a metal colander with a large cheesecloth or other fine, smooth fabric (I use a pillowcase that I wash with detergent and bleach each time before use), and place that lined colander in a larger glass bowl. pour the yogurt into this contraption, fold the fabric over loosely over the top of the yogurt, and cover it all with a large plate, then place this in the refrigerator. drain the yogurt for 1-3 hours, until thickened to your preference. SAVE THE WHEY! it has many many uses (my friend Charles says "SAVE THE WHEY!" would make a great bumper sticker).

scrape the thickened yogurt into sterile containers, label with the date and refrigerate. this IS the same as the yummy, thick greek-style yogurt you can buy at the store -- but now, you can control how tart it is (longer fermentation = more tart yogurt), the fat content (obviously, by choosing skim, lowfat, reduced fat or whole milk) and the thickness. it's good stuff, PERFECT for my favorite frozen yogurt recipe (that's next)!

strawberry/greek yogurt granita

1 quart best, ripest, reddest organic strawberries, washed, dried and hulled (green tops removed)
juice and zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup greek yogurt
1/2 cup or more sugar, to taste (I like it pretty tart, so use a little less)
tiny pinch of salt

blend it all together in a food processor fitted with an s-blade. freeze it, taking it out every 45 minutes or so to beat it smooth (I use a flat whisk for this). eat it up. heavenly.

out-of-town prep cooking for the next few days

I’m out of town for a few days and am notoriously finicky about my food (wow, what a surprise), so went shopping late this evening and have been cooking up what I (and the folks I’m staying with) will be noshing on the next few days. at some point tonight (when the chicken’s done roasting), I’ll take a break and go to sleep so I can finish up tomorrow. so far I’ve made:

homemade ranch-style beans (SO good)
roasted chicken, pretty simply done with olive oil, salt and pepper
crème fraîche (may use part of it to make a simple ice cream/sorbetto with puréed strawberries)

still need to make:

potato salad
chicken-noodle soup out of the chicken remainders

what else should I be making? I’m only here for a few days, but it’s always nice to leave one’s hosts with food.

wait, have I already forgotten what I've cooked today?

my early evening Manhattan is already taking effect and the day is a bit of a blur. what did I cook today; what did I cook?

today's standout: lemon-cardamom-infused rice pudding, made w/arborio rice, golden raisins (a.k.a. "sultanas"), whipped creme fraiche and enough fresh lemon zest to choke a goat. NO complaints about this one at all, not even from the goat (p.s. to the person who was unable to accept delivery of rice pudding tonight -- I don't offer twice, but sometimes begging works).

also good: strawberries in candied ginger syrup (so ginger-y it almost burns yr throat; yummy); those same strawberries in slices w/some lemon added atop little lemon-y cheesecakes (it was a lemon-y day).

oh! roasted salmon with sweet & spicy pecan crust, atop bowtie pasta w/beurre noisette (one of my absolute favorite things) & chives; delish if I do say so myself.

other things seem less important in comparison.

today's Manhattan: a Perfect Manhattan made with 2 measures Sazerac Rye (thank you to both Kyle and Wiggy's), 1/2 measure ea. Cinzano and white vermouth, a few dashes Agnostura bitters, a dash of bitter lemon bitters (sounds redundant, doesn't it?), and an all-important maraschino cherry. very, very good Manhattan.

more yummy stuff I've cooked lately

if I do say so myself, and I DO.

North African Carrot Soup with Raz El Hanout (which reminds me that I need to get to work on those preserved lemons soon)

fabulously yummy Sour Cream Fudge mini cupcakes w/Frangelico Ganache

Strawberry Cheesecake galettes glazed w/vanilla sugar

Maroon Carrots glazed w/Moroccan spices & pomegranate molasses

Lemon/orange-infused cheesecakes which I plan to top w/fruit glazed w/ginger syrup (thanks for this idea, DLY), but WHICH FRUIT? kumquats? plums? I dunno; I'm tired of berries at the moment.

my food production rate is down due to more recipe development, but I must be forgetting things.

things I plan to make soon:

Brown Sugar/Kahlua Ice Cream

Teriyaki Roasted Chicken (sounds dull, but I make my own teriyaki w/nigori sake and light tamari)

Japanese Sweet Rice Pudding (made w/Sho-Chiku-Bai rice, milk, maple syrup, currants, salt, cinnamon)

and more. suggestions welcomed always.

things I've cooked recently

from March 12, 2009

hey -- I can still cook! some of the food I've made in the past few days:

French Onion Soup (the real thing, of course -- it was pretty amazing, but a good deal of credit goes to my partner in crime, Kyle, who finished the soup to perfection)

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup w/roasted yellow & bell peppers, caramelized onions, smoked paprika (yum!!!) creeam, basil and chives (maybe mint and chives next time?)

Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes glazed with cachaca simple syrup, half of them frosted with buttercream (colored [but NOT flavored] chartreuse to match the host's upholstery), the other half frosted with El Rey chocolate ganache

Pasta Salad (Garofalo Gemilli) with frizzled proscuitto strips, fried capers (I longed for caper berries here), roasted sweet organic peppers, strips of lemon zest, white truffle oil, a bit of lemon juice, shredded parmagiano reggiano (would have preferred shavings of grana padano, but still wonderful), a chiffonade of fresh basil and some fresh chive slivers (plus lots of telicherry pepper)

Roasted brussels sprouts with olive oil, s&p, glazed lightly with a sherry/dijon/maple concoction

Wilted organic spinach w/Asian flavors -- sesame oil, fried garlic (the yummy Thai stuff), pickled ginger, black & white sesame seeds, etc.

more to come. I hope you say "yes" when I invite you over for dinner.

sourdough gone wild

go here now if you’re at all into bread baking.

this morning’s bread came out of the oven smelling heavenly. if anything, it’s even better than the last loaf. this kind of sourdough baking is so easy (really -- the only reason I was up at ridiculous o’clock because I felt like waking up). it bakes in like 40 minutes, which is about how long it usually takes me to get ready for work. I no longer measure when baking this stuff and it’s working so far, knock wood. my current recipe/formula/whatever: in the evening, I pour about a cup of my sourdough starter into my bread machine (because I’m too lazy to knead, even though it barely needs to be kneaded), after which I refresh it to its original amount with a ratio of about 1:3 flour to water (whatever works out to be the consistency of pancake batter), cover it and leave it out overnight to do its thing. to the bread machine, I add roughly the same amount of water, and then about 3 cups of flour (last night’s combo was the remainder of my King Arthur bread flour, all-purpose flour and semolina flour -- it ended up being just over a cup of each), and some kosher salt (over a teaspoon, less than two). for kicks this time, I added some butter because I like the way it tastes in this particular bread, but it all depends on my mood whether I add olive oil, butter, or neither. okay, then I let it knead for a few minutes. I’ve learned that the gluten primarily develops during in the resting (after the flour and water are combined; the process is called “autolyse”). I take the barely kneaded dough out of the machine (super-gloppy dough makes the best bread; it’s just not much fun to handle) and sort of loosely shape it however I want. I spent maybe 2 minutes on this. last night, I put the dough into two buttered loaf pans, covered ’em w/saran wrap and stuck ’em in the gas oven w/just the pilot light on to proof overnight. I woke up to lovely, 3/4-risen loaves. one of the other tricks I’ve learned is to not over-proof -- at least the last 1/4 to 1/2 of the rising happens in the baking, a.k.a. oven spring. I pre-heated the oven to somewhere between 375 and 400 (it was early, and bread is SO forgiving) and baked ’em. while they baked, I made my french toast with the last of the bread I had left from the other day, plus some cream (why go half-way? I have NO restraint and am just lucky I don’t gain weight) and eggs, cooked in butter (arteries are hardening just from reading this, no doubt).

brown sugar ice cream

this is a bare-bones recipe, but it’s so good I want to get at least the basic recipe up.

8 egg yolks
1 cup white sugar (I actually used Mexican sugar for this part, which is an extremely light brown and coarse sugar, but I don’t know that it made any difference; white sugar works just as well)
1 cup dark brown sugar
6 cups heavy cream (you can use up to 1/3 milk, but I like my ice cream on the insanely rich side)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Mexican vanilla
1-2 teaspoons Kahlua (optional)

beat the egg yolks with the white sugar until the mixture is lemon-yellow in color and forms ribbons, then beat in the brown sugar, cream and salt (use the smaller amount of salt to start). cook it in a very heavy pot (I like a Le Creuset dutch oven) over very low heat (or use a bain marie), stirring constantly, ever-vigilant, until the custard coats the back of a wooden spoon nicely. it won’t be super-thick; it should come out more the consistency of a finished veloute (yeah, I'll find those accents aigu one of these days). add the vanilla and optional Kahlua, then taste to see if it wants more salt. pour it out into a suitable container and refrigerate it for at least several hours, preferably overnight. after that, freeze as usual -- I like my little Cuisinart ice cream freezer for this, but this recipe needs to be adjusted, because it makes too much to freeze in one batch. next time, I’ll try to use 3/4 to 2/3 the amount and will update when I get it right.

this comes out just gorgeous, a dense gelato-like texture with a dark cream color, and goes beautifully with fresh fruit, chocolate cake, or all by itself. one scoop will be plenty for most people, since it’s so rich.