I live in a pretty food-savvy place (Napa Valley) so I was surprised when nobody at my local supermarket knew where the crème fraîche was. The clerks didn’t even know what it was. I finally located some in the store but it wasn’t the product I was hoping for, from nearby Bellwether Farms. It was a French brand I had never tried. And OMG, was it amazing. I needed it for an ice cream recipe but kept sneaking little spoonfuls. Leave it to the French to make superb crème fraîche. But wait, it’s not French? On closer inspection, the lid had an American Cheese Society stamp identifying it as a competition winner. This luscious dairy product with the French name was Made in America.
Alouette is the brand and a little online digging revealed that it is owned by Savencia, a giant French dairy company with operations in the U.S. What they were doing to achieve this silky texture and buttery flavor intrigued me because crème fraîche is not that complicated. It’s just cultured cream. The difference must lie in the culture, I figured; Alouette crème fraîche is noticeably nuttier, more mellow and less tangy than other brands I have tried.
Nutty, buttery, mellow: Alouette crème fraîche
“The main reason why our crème fraîche is less tangy is because of our ripening cycle and the starter culture,” confirmed Marc Druart, the vice president of R&D for Savencia. The company uses a proprietary culture that produces low acidity but a lot of aroma. For the nerds, the culture includes Lactococcus lactis sp. diacetylactis, which generates diacetyl, a compound that contributes what Druart describes as “nutty, buttery, butterscotch flavors.” Diacetyl is largely what gives butter its signature taste, and it lends a buttery note to many Chardonnays.
The fermentation process for Alouette crème fraîche is also exceptionally slow, says Druart, because Lactococcus lactis sp. diacetylactis is a sluggish performer. It takes time—and the right temperature and pH—for the bacteria to get moving and produce the desired aromas.
A bowl of summer berries with crème fraîche and brown sugar is the easiest summer dessert you can make. If you have a little more time, make this dreamy ice cream.
Crème Fraîche Ice Cream
Just in time for strawberry season, here’s the recipe for the homemade ice cream flavor that ranks first at my house. My husband is never too full for ice cream. As he likes to say, “It slips through the cracks.” From Fresh from the Farmers’ Market by Janet Fletcher (Chronicle Books).
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise
¾ cup sugar
Yolks of 6 large eggs
1 cup crème fraîche
Put the half-and-half and the cream in a saucepan. Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla pod into the cream mixture, then add the pod half as well. Bring the mixture to a simmer over moderate heat, remove from the heat and let stand 15 minutes to steep.
In a bowl, whisk the sugar and egg yolks until the mixture is pale and forms a ribbon when you lift the whisk. Gradually whisk in the warm cream mixture. Return to the saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture reaches 180ºF on an instant-read thermometer. Do not let it boil or it will curdle. Cool 15 minutes, then add the crème fraîche, whisking until smooth. Remove the vanilla bean pod. Cover and chill the mixture thoroughly. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions.
Makes 1 quart