Devonshire Cream 
(h/t Agatha Christie)
24 ounces (3 cups) heavy cream
NOT ultra-pasteurized. Preferably raw cream if available.
Some states allow raw milk but not raw cream. Some allow only directly from the farmers.
Some farmers have been known to sell it as ‘animal food’ but if the FDA caught you, you might have to prove you have animals to feed it to.
Getting the cream may be a hassle but it’s so sinfully good it’s worth it.
Check your state laws.
In an oven: Preheat oven to 180°F. Pour cream into a 8- by 10-inch baking dish, and cover with foil.
Heat 8 to 10 hours, until a dark yellow film forms on top.
In a slow-cooker: Pour cream into the crock of the slow-cooker.
Heat on “warm” 10 to 12 hours, until a dark yellow film forms on top.
Transfer pan/crock, still covered, to a countertop until it reaches room temperature.
Refrigerate overnight, or at least 8 hours.
Skim solid top layer into a small bowl or glass jar.
Stir well, until clotted cream reaches a smooth consistency.
Agatha ate lots of this with scones and it serves as a topping for many desserts.
I often just eat it like pudding.
Reserve remaining cream for cooking or baking.
Bacon-Wrapped Trout with Corn Cakes
h/t Ernest Hemingway
2 (10-ounce) whole trout, cleaned and gutted
1/2 cup cornmeal
Salt and ground pepper, to taste
8 sprigs fresh thyme
1 lemon, sliced
6 slices bacon
Fresh parsley, for garnish
Preheat broiler and set oven rack 4 to 6 inches from heat.
With a paper towel, pat trout dry inside and out. Dredge outside of each fish in cornmeal, then season cavity with salt and pepper.
Place 4 sprigs of thyme and 2 lemon slices inside each fish.
Wrap 3 bacon slices around the middle of each fish, so that the edges overlap slightly.
Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil, and place fish on pan.
Broil until bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes.
With a spatula, carefully flip fish over and cook another 5 minutes, until flesh is firm.
Corn Cakes
1 1/2 cups corn kernels (either fresh off the cob or thawed)
2 green onions, white parts only, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
Canola oil, for frying
In a food processor, add corn and green onions and pulse 4 to 5 times, until finely chopped.
In a large bowl, stir together corn mixture, flour, cornmeal, baking powder, red chile flakes, salt, and sugar.
In a small bowl, combine egg, buttermilk, and butter. Add to corn mixture, stirring until just combined.
Coat a large skillet or pancake griddle with oil.
Over medium heat, spoon batter onto pan in 1/4 cups and fry until cakes are golden on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
And if you been following the news, eat fish with your bacon.
I know “raw dairy” is a religious issue- but for my part I would only use raw cream if I were close enough to know the name of the animal it came from! It has to be that fresh. Clotted cream
was originally a very tasty method of preserving (and enhancing) raw cream for a bit longer – but it is still quite perishable .
The recipe, though, is fabulous ! Eat that cream with a spoon, like Agatha!
My brother always got raw milk if available and swore by it. Used to buy his own beef direct from the farmer as well. A health food nut – who ate a box of Twinkies every day.
🙂
In NYS, raw milk dairies need frequent inspection and testing. It’s a pain in the neck and expensive. One local dairy farmer was shut down when it was discovered the vet had given him a stack of pre-signed ‘certifications’ and was not doing the testing. Farmer was fined out of business and the vet was ‘allowed’ to retire.
In addition to the weaving I took up about a year ago, I’ve decided to start making my own cheese and to hell with the cholesterol. I’d much prefer to use raw milk. Too much milk nowadays is ultra-pasturized – keeps longer but has zilch nutritional value and worthless for cheese.
I just just emailed a raw milk dairy near me. Was told they do sell raw cream but might need a few days advance notice. (Which may depend on how much I want to buy).
Think I’ll order enough for a double batch of Devonshire cream and just pig out.