Crème Fraîche

Lots of recipes call for crème fraîche, which is similar to sour cream but smoother and richer. In France, where it originates, its body comes from the natural bacteria in unpasturized cream. In America, however, this is nearly impossible for us to get unless we milk our own animals, but we can make a good approximation with this simple recipe. Crème fraîche is great for cooking because of its rich flavor and stability—it won’t break when heated, unlike sour cream.