The story of clotted cream

[Guest guest]

Dear Lynne: My mother likes to give me unusual ingredients to cook with. Recently she came back from England with a jar of clotted cream. Should it go into sweet dishes or savory ones? And what is clotted cream?

in Las Vegas

Dear : Clotted cream is something you could do yourself if you can get high-quality raw milk, as in milk from Jersey cows. Originating in southwest England in the Devonshire area, which was known for rich grazing, clotted cream probably began as a method of keeping milk and making raw milk safe for drinking.

Farmers strained fresh milk into wide, shallow earthenware bowls and let them sit overnight in a cool place. The cream rose to the top. Then the bowls with the floating cream (which couldn't be jostled or stirred) were gently and slowly heated until reaching about 180 degrees. As it warmed, the cream gradually coagulated and thickened. After carefully skimming the cooked-tasting cream off the milk, the farmers used it instead of butter or whipped cream. Fine clotted cream tastes sweet and distinctly milky, while that of poor quality is tasteless and greasy.

Certainly use your mother's gift just as you would butter and whipped cream. Clotted cream with scones and jam are the stuff of British tea lore.

On the nondessert side, a spoonful that you've mixed with fresh tarragon and chives is good on trout and seafood. Toss steamed carrots with clotted cream. In fact, toss any vegetable with it. If you add minced shallot and fresh lemon juice, you have creamy dressing for new spring greens. Crush steamed new potatoes and peas with clotted cream to nudge their natural sweetness to the forefront.