or to resist curdling in a sauce. Whipping
cream, at between 30 and 40% fat, is the most
versatile formulation.
Fat globules in milk and cream. Left to right:
Fat globules in homogenized milk (3.5% fat),
and in unhomogenized light cream (20% fat),
and in heavy cream (40% fat). The more
numerous fat globules in cream interfere with
the flow of the surrounding fluid and give
cream its full-bodied consistency.
Stability in Cooking How does a high fat
content permit the cook to boil a mixture of
heavy cream and salty or acidic ingredients
without curdling it, as when dissolving pan
solids or thickening a sauce? The key seems
to be the ability of the fat globule’s surface
membrane to latch onto a certain amount of