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Clotted Cream
Let the milk stand 24 hours in winter (12 in summer), then set it on the stove till almost at boiling point. It must not bubble, but should show wrinkles and look thick. The more slowly it is done, the firmer it will be. On the following day, skim it by folding over and over in small rolls, and set them on ice till wanted. Serve on fresh fruit or cereals.
This is the traditional scalded-cream method, written for a household that had raw milk standing in a cool dairy. The technique still works, but it depends entirely on the milk you start with and on keeping the pan below a simmer.
- The hinge: never let it bubbleThe recipe says "almost at boiling point", but in practice you want the milk held well below a simmer, around 180F, for a long time. If it actually boils you end up with scalded milk and a thin skin rather than a solid crust of clotted cream. Wrinkles on the surface and a thick, faintly buff appearance are the signal.
- Milk that will actually clotYou need non-homogenized, cream-line milk, or whole milk enriched with heavy cream. Homogenized supermarket milk has had its fat globules broken small enough that they will not rise and knit into a crust, and no amount of slow heating will fix that. Pasteurized non-homogenized milk works well; ultra-pasteurized does not.
- The standing periodThe 24 hours (12 in summer) exists only to let cream rise to the top, and it assumed a cold stone dairy. Do this in the refrigerator regardless of season. Milk left out overnight at kitchen temperature sours and can carry heat-stable bacterial toxins that later scalding will not destroy.
- Vessel and depthUse a wide, shallow pan or baking dish so the cream layer is broad and thin, no more than about 2 inches of milk. The recipe works on the stovetop, but a very low oven is a modern substitute that holds the temperature more steadily, and either way the recipe's own advice that slower means firmer holds; expect several hours.
- "On the following day"The pan must be chilled undisturbed, uncovered or loosely covered, for at least 8 hours and preferably overnight. The crust firms only as it cools; skimming while warm gives you a slack, greasy cream.
- SkimmingSlide a slotted spoon or spatula under the edge and roll the crust over on itself in small folds, as written, lifting it clear of the thin milk beneath. The remaining skimmed milk is perfectly good for baking or scones.
- Yield and keepingYield depends entirely on the fat content of the milk; from ordinary cream-line whole milk a gallon may give only around half a pound. Refrigerate and use within a few days.