Creamy mushroom sauce
“Cream sauce… yummy!”
If you’re anything like me when it comes to food, this is what your mind thinks when you read about cream sauce in some menu, but it seems like not everyone knows really how to make a good creamy sauce!
I won’t claim I’m an expert, but I can at least share some tips & basic information about how to use cream to make wonderfully soft and velvety sauces.
So in this post I’ll write what I consider the basics of using cream to make sauces. If you’d like me to add more posts later with more info, tips & tricks and some favorite combinations just leave a comment saying what you’d like to know!
The 3 commandments of a creamy sauce:
- Thou shall have cream (The Cream)
- Thou shall have flavourings (The flavours)
- Thou shall cook the sauce carefully (The process)
The Cream
When you go to the supermarket there are several types of cream, so which one should you choose?
The most important thing about cream is its fat content. Very fatty cream (double cream or heavy whipping cream) is the best for sauces or any other warm preparations as it will not clout or form granules. (If you wonder why, it’s because on creams with more than 25% fat globules content there’s enough globule surface to trap all the casein from the milk – and casein is a protein, which under heat will curdle)
There’s also another type of cream that is quite interesting, called “Créme Fraiche”. It has almost the consistency of yogurt and doesn’t spoil as quickly as normal cream, which makes it a very good fallback cream to have in the fridge.
So what cream to buy to make sauces?
- - Créme Fraiche if you want you’re not sure when you’re going to use the cream or you think you won’t use it all
- - Double cream if you plan on using it soon
And of course, experiment! Créme Fraiche tastes different from double cream, so just buy both and try them out 
The Flavorings
Cream, cream, cream, is it all really about cream?
Nope, cream is actually just the add-on! A sauce needs to be made by itself and then cream is added as a finishing touch, to make it soft, velvety and smooth.
So what are the basic flavors to use when making a sauce? Anything! Just don’t use too many things and make sure the flavors will work together and with the rest of the meal.
Creamy curry & bell pepper sauce
Fundamentals:
- - Salt – A sauce with cream and no salt will feel too fat and sickening
- - Lemon/Lime/Something acid – Whenever the sauce tastes a bit too fat and the salt level is ok, add some acid. I always use lemon juice, but lime also works well.
- - Remains from cooking the main protein source of the meal – Some of the marinade for the meat/fish, some of the frying oil for the meat, some of the juices from whenever you manage to get them!
- - Onion, garlic & bell pepper – These vegetables work great in cream sauces, just start by simmering them in some olive oil and build the sauce from there.
- - Mushrooms – In a can or fresh, sliced mushrooms are really good with cream.
- - Stock – Fish, meat, vegetable or seafood stock immediately add depth to a creamy sauce, don’t be shy when using them!
- - Spices – You can add any spice to a cream sauce to boost it, my favorites are pepper (both white and black, depending on the dish), curry and chili/cayenne pepper.
- - Wine – Both red and white wine are really good with creamy sauces, but not all wine works great. Be careful with very acid wines and very fruity wines, they can change the flavor of the sauce too much.
The Process
So what’s the assembly process? Roughly, this is how I do it:
- If you fried some meat, drain most oil and add some olive oil to the frying pan. If you’re starting from scratch, just add olive oil to a frying pan or a sauce pan. Let the oil heat up evenly.
- Add the vegetables you want to simmer (onion, garlic, bell pepper, mushrooms and stuff like that) and simmer until golden.
- Add any marinade leftovers and wine. Let it cook.
- Add the cream or créme fraiche. Stir well.
- Add water to make the sauce thinner. If you’re boiling pasta make sure you add water from the pasta, as the starch floating in it will make the sauce nice and rich.
- Keep on stirring occasionally to make it even and serve when it’s as thick as you want it!
Questions? Corrections? Tips? Leave a comment!
