Crème Fraiche: a tasty topping that makes things feel fancy

Fancy Pants pairing - Ooo la la!

Any topping that you have to say with an accent is a good idea.  And Crème Fraiche is a perfect example.  It is rich and creamy and whipped and thick, all at the same time.  Food bloggers tout crème fraiche as an overall winner for toppings: throw a dollop on strawberries or pie as a dessert; mix in a bit as a rich topping for a soup; use as a dip with crudites.

I recently realized, as I read through recipes, that I had never tasted it.  It created some curiosity so when I came across it in the grocery store on special, I snagged some and decided to experiment.  For a recent dinner party, I made a topping for shrimp.  I wanted the Crème's creaminess to be balanced with a little salt and spice, and I wanted to a bit of color.  So, I added dill and thick flakes of black salt and voila! (OK, now I'm just trying to use more French words.)  It was a nice topper for the shrimp and dinner guests lapped it up.  Good maiden voyage!

Want to get super Fancy Pants about it and make your own?  It is possible, and relatively easy.  Add a bit of cultured buttermilk or sour cream to heavy cream. Let the mixture stand for a few hours at room temperature.  The mixture will toughen in consistency to get its thick creaminess once the bacterial cultures act on the cream.  Don't let this freak you out: the cultures happen in the same way that Greek yogurt forms (such as Fage) and the cultures are beneficial to intestinal health.  Another 'hidden' advantage to crème fraiche is that despite the high fat content (people are hard on it's creamy flavor because of this) , but it is very low in sugar as a result.  I guess the lesson is: pick your battles!

Regardless of how you decide to use the Crème Fraiche, it is a diverse delight. It's so good that I'm tempted to start saying crème cheese and crème of mushroom soup, and things like that.

Next time, I'll mix it with some honey and sea salt for fruit or maybe garlic and rosemary for a soup.