But what exactly is crème fraîche? And how else can you use it? If you're going out of your way to buy crème fraîche, you might want to know these details ahead. Or check out our substitutes ...

There is a product on the market called low fat creme fraiche. It is a silly idea, because if you are going to use creme fraiche then you might as well go the whole hog and use the real thing ...

Store it in the fridge for a couple of weeks and use it as and when you need it. Richer than soured cream, crème fraîche can be used to lace soups, sauces and stews or can be spooned over ...

At Vinnies I will often use creme fraiche or mascarpone as an alternative when creating desserts that would normally call for whipped cream. Heat oven to 180C. Wash the rhubarb, then cut into batons.

Add to the reheated chicken with the crème fraîche and parsley. Tip 2: Try to use full-fat crème fraîche. If you can’t get hold of any, you could substitute half the quantity of double cream.