Cream of the crop: Sky Gyngell reveals her love for crème fraîche

Our chef's schooling in traditional French cuisine left her with plenty to rebel against - but also instilled in her a love for one particular ingredient: crème fraîche

The first three years of my cooking life were spent in France. After a year at cooking school, I spent 18 months at a Michelin- starred restaurant, Dodin- Bouffant, in the 5th arrondissement. Looking back from a distance of 20 years, I realise I had a very classic French training, based on strict rules and principles. At the time it felt constricting and sometimes dull, but in retrospect I am very grateful for the foundations that were put in place. It was there that I learned basics such as making mayonnaises and various different stocks.

We still use some of these methods at Petersham, but my cooking has changed a lot over the years; it is freer, lighter, more produce-led and far, far simpler. But the more I strip it down, the more value I place on my original training. Some things have gone right out of the window, probably never to be seen again, such as pâte à choux, clarified consommés and elaborate menu planning. But one thing I value even more today than I did then is crème fraîche.

Crème fraîche is French for fresh cream. It is simply a heavy cream that has been slightly soured using a bacterial culture; it is not, however, either as sour or as thick as sour cream.

When I trained in France there was no double cream or single cream or half-and-half, such as the Americans use. There was only crème fraîche. They even serve it on its own mixed with sugar in a dessert called Chantilly.

Originally produced only in France, crème fraîche is now widely available throughout the world. Very few people cook with it in the way that the French favour, but here at Petersham, we do. We use a Jersey cream sometimes on desserts, but in cooking it's only ever crème fraîche ­ that is something that has stayed with me throughout my culinary life.

I love to use it because I don't like heavy-based sauces. Using double cream often almost smothers food, it can be too rich and cloying. It dumbs down its flavour. Crème fraîche is very rich and unctuous, too, but it's also incredibly light to cook with, almost disappearing into the air. It has a particular depth that enhances dishes, rather than obscuring them ­ it's irreplaceable.

A dollop of crème fraîche does wonders for sauces and soups. It can be cooked at high temperatures without curdling, unlike single or sour cream. Its lightness enhances flavour without giving it the heavy, cloying or rich taste that regular cream often does. I use a crème fraîche from Normandy ­ it is a beautiful buttermilk-yellow in colour, so thick that it will cling to the spoon when you turn it upside down.

Skye Gyngell is head chef at Petersham Nurseries, Church Lane, Richmond, Surrey, telephone: 020 8605 3627

Melon with crème fraîche and rose syrup

At this time of year, when the orange-fleshed melons known as charentais come into season and are perfectly, deliciously sweet, I like to serve this dish. Sometimes we use rose petals from the garden to finish it off ­ but make sure they have not been sprayed with anything.

Serves 4

1 sweet, ripe melon
100ml/3 1/2fl oz crème fraîche
1tbsp rose syrup
A few rose petals (if you like)
A handful of cherries (optional)

Cut the melon in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Cut into 8 pieces using a sharp knife. Remove the outer skin. Place the melon on a plate, with a few cherries, and spoon the crème fraîche on top. Drizzle over the rose syrup and scatter over the rose petals. Serve immediately after cutting ­ as the melon dries out quite quickly.

Wild seabass with spinach and sauce verte

Serves 4

3 organic free-range egg yolks
The juice of 1 lemon
2tsp Dijon mustard
1 small bunch each of tarragon, chervil and chives, leaves only, washed and chopped
Sea-salt and freshly ground black pepper
200ml extra-virgin olive oil (for sauce)
50ml crème fraîche
800g wild seabass, filleted
1tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (for cooking fish)

Place the egg yolks in a food processor and add the lemon juice, mustard and salt and pepper. Whizz to combine, then add the olive oil, slowly, while the motor is still running, until the ingredients emulsify into mayonnaise. Add the chopped herbs and crème fraîche, and whizz very briefly to combine. Place it in the fridge until you need it. (It will last there for 2-3 days.)

Divide the sea bass into 4 portions. Heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas6. Place a non-stick pan on a medium heat on top of the stove, and heat the oil. Season the fish generously on both sides, then lay it in the pan, skin-side down, in the sizzling oil. Cook for 1 minute without touching it at all, then put the pan into the hot oven and cook for a further 3 minutes.

Remove. Divide among 4 plates, spoon over the sauce verte. It's served alongside cooked spinach and roasted tomatoes.

Aubergine and white bean curry with crème fraîche

Serves 4

1tsp vegetable oil
1 onion, peeled and finely sliced
1tsp coriander seeds
1tsp fennel seeds
2 cloves garlic
4 fresh curry leaves
3 kaffir lime leaves
The juice of 1 lime
1tbsp palm sugar, or caster sugar
1tbsp fish sauce
1 aubergine, cut into eighths
1 tin good-quality chopped tomatoes
1 tin coconut milk
120g/7oz of cooked white beans
1 small bunch coriander, stalks and roots finely chopped
80ml/3fl oz crème fraîche

Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan. Add the onion. Grind the coriander and fennel seeds in a pestle and mortar and add to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes, add the garlic, curry leaves, lime leaves, lime juice, sugar and fish sauce. Add the aubergine and cook for 10 minutes, then add the tomatoes and coconut milk and cook on a low heat for 15 minutes. Add the cooked white beans and cook for a further 10 minutes. Spoon into a large bowl and serve with crème fraîche and coriander.

Tomatoes, crème fraîche and anchovies on toast

This is really a simple snack: not enough for supper, but maybe enough for a light lunch. Tomatoes are trickling into season now which is lovely for us at work, as they add a whole new dimension to dishes.

Serves 4

4 slices good-quality, peasant-style chewy bread such as pagnotta, pugliese or pane Toscana

1 clove garlic, peeled but left whole
2tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
A little sea-salt
2 ripe, sweet tomatoes
4tbsp crème fraîche
8 good-quality anchovies in oil, such as Ortiz
Freshly ground black pepper

First toast or grill the bread. While warm, rub very gently with the clove of garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle a small amount of salt on top.

Slice the tomatoes and lay on top of the toast, dividing them among the 4 slices evenly. Spoon over the crème fraîche and lay over the anchovies.

Finish off with lots of freshly ground black pepper, and serve.

The Forager

Petersham's food sourcer Wendy Fogarty reveals where to get the best crème fraîche...

Weobley House Dairy, tel: 01544 318 815, www.thedairyhouse.co.uk

A beautiful, rich crème fraîche made with Jersey and Friesian cow milk from the small local co-operative that owns the dairy. Sold in independents and farm shops, but also at larger stores.

Marybelle Dairy, Rendham Hall Farm, tel: 01986 784 658, www.marybelle.co.uk

David and Colette Strachan's crème fraîche is made with milk from their pedigree Holstein cows and is sold at farmers' markets, farm shops and small independents in Suffolk and Essex. They are just starting a trial at various London Farmers' Markets

Neals Yard Creamery, tel: 01981 500 395, www.nealsyardcreamery.co.uk

A lighter crème fraîche made with milk from Tony Norman's organic farm, in Pembridge. The crème fraîche is available from Neal's Yard Dairy, as well as from small independents.

Helsett Farm, tel: 01840 261 207, www.helsettfarm.com

Crème fraîche made with organic milk from pedigree Ayrshire cows which graze in the fields above Boscastle, in northern Cornwall.