Make the most of cream

Which cream for which purpose?
It's not easy to choose the right cream to prepare your starters, main courses, desserts! For pastries or in cooking, for hot or cold use, not all creams are the same.

Why use cream ?

To add taste, and to refine and personalise a dish
To add taste, and to refine and personalise a dish
Cream reveals, enhances and fixes the subtlest aromas and softens flavours that can sometimes dominate a dish.
In this way it can reduce acidity, bitterness or harshness.
For example: the acidity of a tomato soup
To add smoothness and richness to a dish
It is the touch of cream in a purée, in a soup or simply by itself on vegetables, rice or pasta or in desserts on red fruits, on a tarte Tatin…
To help thicken your receipes
In a quiche or gratins, in savoury tarts or to thicken your sauces, simmer in your dishes or emulsify your vinaigrettes, cream brings smoothness and richness and can provide a silky smooth or light foamy topping, never forgetting the taste and all the flavours that it captures so well.
To play with an infinite palette of colours
Cream, with its ivory shade of white, can take on colours as well as flavours.
It can add a nuance to the intensity of green, red, mauve and orange... and give a visual, artistic and creative touch to your receipes.
For its unequalled ability to increase its volume
Whether just added or whipped, cream plays a fundamental role in many receipes.
Ganache, mousse, bavaroise, ice cream… without forgetting the crème de la crème: the Chantilly cream that brings a final touch of lightness, decoration and richness to your receipes. Using a whisk, beater or siphon, aerated cream can be used in savoury as well as sweet dishes.

Which cream to choose for using cold ?

Using cold
Which cream ?
Why ?
Starters
As is (on smoked fish, salmon, a vegetable terrine...)
Which cream ? Thick crème fraîche
Why ? The acid taste of crème fraîche highlights the flavours and its thick texture provides a rich topping for your starter
Sauces
Savoury liquid cold sauces (vinaigrette…)
Which cream ? UHT cream full-fat or light)
Why ? UHT cream brings roundness and a milky taste and handles the acidity of lemon or vinegar
Savoury thick cold sauces
Which cream ? Thick crème fraîche or semi-thick UHT cream (full-fat or light)
Why ? The acid taste of crème fraîche highlights the flavours and its thick texture provides a rich, consistent topping for your starter
Desserts
Chantilly
Whipped cream
Which cream ? Full-fat fresh whipping cream or full-fat UHT cream
Why ? It is essential to use a cream with a fat content of at least 30% for it to whip and keep its consistency
As is on fruit, cold desserts, in fromage blanc
Which cream ? Thick crème fraîche
Why ? The acid taste of crème fraîche highlights the flavours and its thick texture provides a rich, consistent topping for your starter
Ice creams
Which cream ? Full-fat fresh whipping cream or full-fat UHT cream
Why ? A cream with a minimum fat content of 30%, avoids the formation of crystals and gives you a rich, creamy ice cream
Aperitif
Snack
Savoury cold sauces such as « herb dips »
Which cream ? Thick crème fraîche (full-fat or light) or semi-thick UHT
Why ? UHT cream brings roundness and a milky taste while crème fraîche gives freshness and an acidic taste; their thick or semi-thick texture provides consistency and richness
Multi-layer chilled verrines with savoury whipped cream
Which cream ? Full-fat fresh whipping cream
Why ? It needs a cream with a minimum fat content of 30% to keep its consistency

Which cream to choose for using hot ?

Using hot
Which cream ?
Why ?
Starters
As is in a soup or velouté
Which cream ? Semi-thick UHT cream (full-fat or light)
Why ? For the creaminess it brings to the texture and the ease of incorporation
Terrines (fish, vegetable…) cooked in the oven
Which cream ? UHT cream (full-fat or light)
Why ? For thickening and the creamy texture after cooking
Main courses
As is on vegetables, meat, pasta, rice
Which cream ? Semi-thick UHT cream (full-fat or light)
Why ? To give creaminess. The semi-thick texture means it can be used directly as a topping and the round, milky taste of UHT cream is a plus
Gratins, quiches, vegetable flans, savoury tarts… (cooked in the oven)
Which cream ? UHT cream (full-fat or light)
Why ? For the binding effect and the indulgent texture after cooking
Stewed dishes
Which cream ? UHT cream (full-fat or light)
Why ? For the binding effect and the indulgent texture after cooking
Delicate fish and meat dishes
Which cream ? Fresh cooking cream (full-fat or light)
Why ? For the fresh taste, subtle and light, of the cream that captures the subtlest flavours
As is in a purée
Which cream ? Semi-thick UHT cream
Why ? For the creaminess it brings, its ease of incorporation and the round, milky UHT taste
Sauces
Hot savoury sauces
Which cream ? UHT cream (full-fat or light)
Why ? For its coating consistency linked to the incorporation and less evaporation (reduction)
Sauce à la crème normande
Which cream ? Thick crème fraîche
Why ? To follow the traditional recipe with crème fraîche
Hot sweet sauces (with caramel, chocolate)
Which cream ? Fresh whipping cream (full-fat or light)
Why ? To give creaminess and milky softness to heighten the flavours
Desserts
To make a cake, a tart or a custard
Which cream ? Fresh whipping cream (full-fat or light)
Why ? The smoothness the cream brings
Added to a hot drink
Which cream ? UHT cream (full-fat or light)
For a Chantilly topping, a full-fat cream (fleurette ou UHT)
Why ? The smoothness the cream brings + round taste of UHT cream
Ganache
Which cream ? Full-fat fresh whipping cream or full-fat UHT cream
Why ? Requires a cream with a minimum fat content of 30%
Aperitif
Snack
Savoury « whipped cream » or hot emulsions
Which cream ? Full-fat fresh whipping cream or full-fat UHT cream
Why ? Requires a cream with a minimum fat content of 30%

Advice from Elle & Vire

  1. 1 Think about the texture of the cream use a thick cream when texture is important (particularly when used cold) otherwise choose aa liquid cream.
  2. 2 Use thick crème fraîche when the acid taste of crème fraîche is wanted and will liven up your receipes.
  3. 3 To make whipped cream or a Chantilly, use a cream with a minimum fat content of 30% (either full-fat whipping cream or a full-fat UHT cream).
  4. 4 For a touch of cream in your soups and purées, choose aa semi-thick UHT cream which is easier to mix in.
  5. 5 For hot sauces, a UHT cream will reduce and very quickly bring creaminess and consistency with little evaporation (so more sauce in the end).