Earlier this week I posted a recipe for a Creamy Horseradish Dipping Sauce from Peggy Fallon’s Great Party Dips. We’ve tried this sauce/dip, of course, and instantly fell deeply in love. The “creamy” part comes from folding in whipped cream, which does not just add to the recipe: it transforms it. This idea is one you may one to apply to the other entries in your “dip portfolio.”
Many dips begin with sour cream, perhaps with some mayonnaise added in. Those dips, particularly when chilled before serving, are very thick. You remember, a potato chip made for dips might work but a regular potato chip will snap apart as you try to plow through that very viscous dip.
Folding in whipped cream [as much cream before whipping as you had sour cream] transforms that “pasty” dip into something more like a mousse. Light, rich, decadent. It’s a different experience, beginning with the “pull” of the chip to how your mouth enjoys the airy delight.
Try the technique and you’ll see what a wonderful, elevating difference it can make. [Yes, this dip will elevate other things too, so don’t do it the day before your next blood test is scheduled.]
Ah, a man after my own cholesterol-ridden heart! And here’s one more little tip to consider: when purchasing heavy (whipping) cream, bypass (pardon the expression) the ultra-pasteurized stuff–which many grocers love because it has an outrageously long shelf life–and look for plain ol’ pasteurized cream–organic, if possible. It whips up noticeably faster, holds its volume better, and has the creamy sort of flavor you’d expect–instead of that vaguely plastic taste some ultra-pasteurized brands have. This is probably not something you’re going to eat every day; so when you do buy cream, you may as well buy the best.