How To Make Clotted Cream

I have had making clotted cream on my ‘to do’ list since I saw it made on an ‘Edwardian farming’ programme on the BBC last year and when invited along to bring ‘peasant chic quirky picnic food with a story’ to a photo shoot for the new Irish Country Magazine of the Irish Farmers Journal, I thought I’d attempt to make some as the perfect accompaniment to my spot o dick fruit bread and homemade raspberry jam.

I made 3 batches, varying each slightly and this was what worked the best.

  • I took about a gallon and a half of milk straight from the jar in the milking parlour so it was warm. (yes, it is made with raw milk). ?I poured it into a large roasting dish so it was about 3 inches in depth.
  • Leave for 12 hours. ?Bring to 75 degrees and keep at 75 degrees for an hour. ?(I simply covered it with a large plastic chopping board that had a hole for the handle and inserted the thermometer there. I heated it very slowly on two hob rings. The slower it comes to 75 degrees the better the result).
  • Then leave it in a cool place for 12 hours. The cream comes to the top and forms a very wrinkled surface.
  • I then put it in the fridge to cool down more for an hour before removing the cream.
  • The ladies on the BBC programme had a huge perforated ladle to remove the cream (almost as big as a dinner plate). I used a fish slice! I then put it into the fridge and removed it before I left but I’d suggest letting it sit at room temperature for an hour or so before using it.

And here’s a picture of it at the picnic – Irish clotted cream 🙂

irish food - irish clotted cream and spotted dick

By the way, if you would like to see more photos of the food at the picnic, do have a look at my Garrendenny Lane blog.

And if you would like the recipe for elderflower cordial, you’ll also find it here on the Garrendenny Lane blog.

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