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Clotted cream is wonderful. Probably best known as English Cream Tea. There is a long-running rivalry between Devon and Cornwall about this. Including, jam or cream first .. They are also still fighting over the pasty etc.
It is far more versatile than just cream teas and great on sweet pies such as fruit pies i.e. Raspberry, Strawberry, Pear and Apple etc.
It also works well as a topping on any fruit mix.
Many overlook the fact it works equally well in a savoury context, going well in mashed potato, risotto, scrambled eggs , in many cases, it can be thought of as an ice cream substitute and so on.
If you are unable to buy clotted cream it is not difficult to make. It does however need a little effort.
Traditionally eaten with scones .
Cut scone in half and depending on if your from Devon or Cornwall, either put Strawberry Jam and then cream or cream then jam. Served with your favourite cuppa I like Twinnings English Breakfast or Assam tea which this.
Important
Using the right cream is vital. Just like when making ice cream, the fat content is key.
Also do not use ultra-pasteurized or other forms of process cream. Pasteurized is ok ( I don’t think unpasteurized is sold in shops anymore).
In the UK, double cream seems to work fine, I used it for this and also when making ice creams.
In Europe, Eastern Block – They have their own equiv which work fine, look for fat above 30%, in most places I have cooked in, they have an equiv of UK double cream which is 48% anywhere in that range has worked well for me.
WATCH FOR THE PROCESSING. NO ultra-pasteurized
I lived in LA for a couple of years a long time ago, so my memory is vague. I think you call it heavy cream.
Be Warned. This takes a long time to cook. Its worth the wait.
Ingredients
| Qty | Description |
| 300ml | cream – see notes above. I use 300ml as its a standard size sold . Our common sizes are 150, 300 and 600. |
Method
Note, Im told by a chef friend of mine ( we have known each other over 20 years and often share tips/recipes), it can be done in a slow cooker. He is a head chef from a top hotel in London.
Ive not tried it but that hotel is at the top and is world-famous ( film stars, world leaders etc stay there, he always asks I do not give its name in case he gets into trouble for sharing info ) for its food.
- Day 1
Pre heat oven to 170-180C , I think that’s gas mark 3, 325 F
Pour cream into shallow/baking casserole dish, the cream should be can be about 1 to 2 inch deep but allow some extra height to make the dish easier to handle. I use one with a lid, if you do not have a lid cover it with foil. I think some prefer uncovered, my nan covered hers and I learnt from her. This should stop skin from forming. There must be a big surface aera.
After 12 hours, turn off oven and allow to cool naturally. Again, some remove the dish and leave to cool in a room. My nan left it in the oven a let them cool together. This was more gentle on the cream.
Once cool, it’s okay to store in the fridge.
Leave it to settle for the day / overnight, I guess if you need a number about 8 hours. My nan left the lid / foil on.
- Day 2
If it it has a skin, skim it off.
DO NOT STIR , TRY NOT TO DISTURB THE MIXTURE
Skim off the thick cream on top of the mix. If you have ever made cheese ( or seen it being made its the same idea, whey and curd).
Gently stir the remove thick cream until smooth.
Store in jars, tubs etc in the fridge the same as you would any other cream.
I do not know how long it will keep, my guess would be the same as normal cream. It never lasts long enough in my home to find out 🙂
Enjoy.
This is a mixture of notes made when I was a kid learning from Nan and some vague memories with a touch of translation into modern/international environments.