Just what is a crema? What, exactly, is crème fraiche? How does sour cream fit into this trifecta? Does mascarpone deserve a seat in this conversation?

My inquiring mind wanted to know …

I hear experienced chefs on the cooking channel throwing out creamy terms right and left and my knowledge base is left in the dust.

It was time to expand my repertoire beyond the familiar dollop of sour cream on top of a spicy bowl of chili. The sour cream serves to cut some of the heat found in the chili and adds visual appeal to toppings added to tacos.

What’s on board for all of these is cream plus some form of a bacteria element. Sounds simple enough, but the lines blur amongst the different forms of creamy admirability desired, but I’ll do my best to tease out the facts for you.

Welcome to Creamy Fascinations 101.

Consistency is one variable. Of the actual creams, sour cream is the thickest, crème fraiche is in the middle – followed by Mexican crema, which is the runniest. Mascarpone more closely resembles cream cheese but has two times the fat, a softer consistency, and a slightly sweet taste.

Heat stability is another concern. Crema and crème fraiche are better options for cooking into creamy sauces. Who knew?

Apparently, my former beef stroganoff efforts resulting in the sour cream breaking up was not due to my poor technique, but rather to using the wrong creamy ingredient. Online comments suggest using crème fraiche for stroganoff and crema for enchilada sauce.

Fat content varies and contributes to the heat stability. Sour cream at 20% at is best used as a last moment garnish to hot dishes. Crème fraiche at 30% – 45% and is an excellent thickening agent for soups and sauces (heat stability) and is also used over fruit and baked goods.  Mexican crema is in the middle with a fat content between 18 – 30%.

Tangy factors modify our selections. Sour cream pegs the tangy scale, which makes it a favorite option for anything Tex-Mex for garnish. Crème fraiche is milder and smoother – making it perfect on raw fruits, whipped with sugar and vanilla as a whipped cream variation, or can become savory when combined with herbs and citrus for meat toppings. Variations on crema can uptick the tang when adding lime.

Putting this information together is where lines blur. The ingredient list is easy but can easily cross over lines. Here are some recipes for crema.

Basic Crema 1.0

1 cup/ 237 ml sour cream

1 cup/ 237 ml heavy cream

1 teaspoon/ 5 ml salt

Combine, cover, keep at room temp 3 hours. Use. Store in refrigerator.

Basic Crema 1.5

1 cup/ 237 ml heavy cream

2 Tablespoons/ 30 ml buttermilk

Combine, cover, keep at room temp 12-24 hours, then add:

1 Tablespoon/ 15 ml lime juice

Pinch of salt

Use and store in refrigerator.

Basic Crema 2.0

1 cup/ 237 ml sour cream

1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5 ml garlic powder

Juice of one lime

Combine, use, and store in refrigerator

Mexican Crema 3.0

I was recently introduced to a Mexican crema recipe that provided its own heat element through roasted poblanos and jalapenos.

4 poblano peppers

2 jalapeño peppers

3 cloves of garlic

1+ cup/ 237 ml sour cream

1 lime cut into quarters

Pinch of salt, optional

Coat peppers and cloves of garlic with olive oil, place on a rimmed cookie sheet in a preheated 450-degree oven, and roast. Avoid burning peppers and garlic by turning every 8 minutes – the goal is to blister the skin of the peppers on all sides. When sufficiently blistered in about 20 minutes, remove from oven. 

Transfer roasted peppers into a glass or metal bowl, and cover tightly with foil or plastic wrap to allow for steaming. In about 30 minutes, the outer skin may easily be peeled and pulled from the peppers. Remove stem, most of the seeds, and any interior pulpy structures.

Place peeled pepper skins, roasted garlic, 1 cup of sour cream, and juice of 1/4 of the lime into a container or bowl. Using an immersion blender, pulse to combine all ingredients until smooth.

Check for the flavor balance to suit your taste. Add salt, dollops of sour cream and/or additional lime juice as you create a flavor profile to your liking. It’s amazing, but you’ll get adept at this process and become skilled at getting the combination “just right.”  It’s ready to use and can be stored in the refrigerator.

When added to the top of an effortless crock pot recipe for frozen chicken, bean, and tomato soup, this spicy version of crema added a depth of flavor that took our meal to a new level. Recipe next week for this amazing soup.

In the meantime, practice your crema-making skills and variations. This is so delicious on spicy soups, chili, tacos, taco salad, and makes an egg on toast shine in the mornings.

We’ll do the crème fraiche recipes soon so there can be some beef stroganoff in our fall menus.

In creamy health-

Deidre

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