The Dish: Sedalia's Seasonal Crab Salad featuring Cultured Cream
This seasonally influenced salad is ever-changing but always certain to please. One of the keys to its success is the delicious cultured cream. The tangy house-made cultured cream is then topped with locally sourced tender, sweet asparagus and subtle lambsquarters (wild spinach). Below is the secret recipe that gives the dish its flare.
Ingredients
- 1 quart good quality heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon kéfir grains
Preparation
METHOD
To begin, bring your quart of whipping cream to 80°. Do this slowly, on low, and try not to go over 80°. (Warning: if it’s too hot, it will kill your grains.)
Add the kéfir grain to the cream and pour into a quart size bell jar. Cover with cheesecloth.
Chef’s Notes: “I like to use the screw without the lid for bell jars to keep my cheesecloth taut.”
Keep the jar on the kitchen counter out of direct sunlight for 48 hours. After 48 hours, pour the thickened liquid in a fine-mesh strainer and drain inside the refrigerator for 4-6 hours. Store your cultured cream in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Chef’s Notes: “Kéfir is normally made from whole or skim milk, similar to yogurt. Both yogurt and kéfir are tart and slightly thick when finished culturing. Using cream allows the maker to have a thick and tart cream or continue to the churning process and have a delicious cultured butter.
Kefir grains are easy to come by; Natural Grocers has a powder form from “Cultures of Health” that’s more user-friendly and needs less babysitting. You can also use grains that you purchase online. The grains must live inside a small amount of cream or milk. If stored properly, your grains are ready to inoculate any batch of cream or milk you choose.”
