Clotted cream revolution

Did you think the only clotted cream devotees are older, afternoon tea time Brits who live in Devon or Cornwall (England)? Or possibly the upper class of society who eat strawberries and cream at Wimbledon or at the Royal Ascot?

Well, think again.

Clotted cream has found its way into society’s never-ending pairing game. What wine goes best with what food is the game’s name.

Clotted cream is one of the new players. Chefs and sommeliers ask: “What dish can we make using clotted cream? What wine pairs best?”

The “Clotted Cream Revolution” is in full swing. It is only a matter of time until clotted cream will be a useful word in your vocabulary.

Clotted cream is also called Cornish cream or clouted cream. It is a thick cream made by indirectly heating full cream cow’s milk using steam or a water bath and then leaving it in shallow pans to cool slowly. During this time, the cream content rises to the surface and forms clots or clouts, hence the name, clotted cream.

Clotted cream is thick and rich with the consistency of soft butter. It has at least 55 percent butter fat, giving it a pale yellow color.  Clotted cream has been described as having a nutty, cook milk flavor.

It is traditionally made in Devon or Cornwall and served with scones or desserts. If you purchase an ice cream in Devon or Cornwall, it is normally topped with a spoonful of clotted cream.

Coombe Castle is my favorite brand of clotted cream and is widely available in your gourmet market or via igourmet.com online.

Like wine, clotted cream has the same Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status as Stilton and Jersey potatoes, effectively giving its name EU-wide protection from potential imitators.

I questioned several trendsetting sommeliers and chefs about the potential of pairing foods using clotted cream and what wine pairings were suggested.

Evan Goldstein, master sommelier and founder of Full Circle Wine Solutions (SF) said clotted cream is all about texture – and mostly that. There is an inherent sweetness, as well. A late harvest Riesling could get lost if the amount of clotted cream is too much, thus overpowering the wine.

For the typical scone, strawberry jam and clotted cream pairing, I would lean towards a fortified Muscat, like Beaumes de Venise or some other southwest French example. If you have a more citrusy usage, such as marmalade, perhaps Moscatel de Setubal or even a sweeter style of Madeira. If the usage is more savory, bright acid and again some weight are critical.

Jim Nejaime, wine merchant from Spirited (Lenox) recently cooked veal escalope with garlic clotted cream mushrooms (recipe is online) and found that a Russian River Chardonnay, such as Davis Family winery Chardonnay or an elegant Sangiovese from Ferrari-Carano or Siena worked well.

Red wine from Sonoma also paired perfectly with the dish.

Kollin Kozlowski, CSW, said one of his favorite desserts is spongecake topped with a dollop of clotted cream and sprinkled with crushed marcona almonds, topped by a small pour of Ruby Port.

Any way you look at it, clotted cream has invaded the gastronomic world we live in. Experimenting with clotted cream regarding recipes, whether sweet or savory, has a high priority for the many trendy chefs that have taken over our universe.

Add a savvy sommelier to the scene, and you have the making of a clotted cream and wine revolution.

Posted by Phillip Kampe on July 5, 2013. Filed under Columns,Food,Opinion,Wine and Beyond. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry