The Creamy Ingredient Martha Stewart Uses To Top Spinach Frittatas

Martha Stewart is well-known for her undeniable cooking expertise, and it's no surprise that she's able to elevate even the simplest dishes with her special touch. For years, we've appreciated her cluing us into genius hacks for everything from making bread pudding sparkle to giving extra texture to tuna salad. And now, thanks to a recent Instagram post, we know the Stewart method for bringing frittatas to the next level.

A frittata is a versatile dish that can be served for breakfast, brunch, or even a light dinner. It's essentially an Italian-style omelet that's distinctly different from its French relative, the quiche. Delicious on their own, frittatas can be filled with a combination of meats and vegetables to make for a savory anytime-treat. They're just as enjoyable when presented as an upscale dish as they are when simply used as a clever vehicle for getting rid of leftover ingredients in your fridge. The ever-elegant Stewart, however, elevates her spinach frittatas with a fancy ingredient that adds a bit of tang and a touch of elegance: crème fraîche.

Crème fraîche is a French cultured cream that has a tangy flavor and a smooth, silky texture. It's similar to sour cream (and actually made from soured heavy cream) but tastes milder and contains more fat. The cream is commonly used in cooking and baking recipes to add richness and depth of flavor to dishes. And because of its high fat content, it's a very stable ingredient that's able to be cooked at high temperatures without curdling or separating.

Adding crème fraîche to frittatas, as the culinary queen suggests, is a great way to enhance their taste and texture. Its tart richness will complement the eggs, making them creamier and elevating the experience of eating them. Stewart isn't the only celebrity chef-extraordinaire who swears by this hack. Gordon Ramsay also adds crème fraîche to his scrambled eggs for the same texture-enhancing reason.

If you don't have crème fraîche on hand, you probably have one of its simple substitutes in your fridge. Sour cream, ricotta cheese, and Greek yogurt are all smart swaps that you can use in a pinch. Alternatively, you can make your own crème fraîche by combining heavy cream and buttermilk to create a rich and creamy ingredient with so many uses, including, but not limited to, bringing your frittatas to the next level.