Where did I go wrong?

[Huntsman]

I was attempting to copy something I saw on a cookery TV program over Chrimbo with a celeriac plus a mod of my own. I added bacon.

It was supposed to be chunks of celeriac cooked in cream/milk.

I peeled and chunked the celeriac, steamed it in the microwave for a few mins to get it started. Cooked the lardons until well rendered down, removed the lardons from the pan and placed on kitchen roll. In a fresh pan added single cream, milk, lardons and celeriac. Left it to heat through, hoping the cream would thicken. It did boil as I took my eye off it.

It split into a watery mess and floating curds.

Was it letting it boil?

[21TonyK]

Boiling was too high a heat for it. Gentle simmer at most. Cream will split and you end up with curds floating.

Add to that starch leaching from the veg you will end up with a lumpy mess.

What sort of cream? Substitutes like Elmleigh etc don't fare too well.

Edited by 21TonyK on Monday 2nd January 21:53

[dimots]

Try double cream.

[AndyHCZ]

Need higher fat cream.

Single cream splits when boiled - as does the likes of creme fraiche etc.

[Huntsman]

Thanks, I'll have another go.

[bomb]

I tried a similar thing over Christmas time.

The recipe stated ' Take one CLEAN pan'. At that stage I just thought - 'sod it, I'll not bother' !!