How come everytime we make cream sauce, especially with pasta, the cream curdles?

Question

My boyfriend and I have made a couple different attempts at pasta with cream sauce, once with a white wine reduction and one carbonera sauce. We followed instructions, but both times, the cream curdled. (in the case of the cabonera, teh egg sauce curdled). What are we doing wrong? Is there too much grease and oil? I thought that was PART of the reduction/ pan sauce part? We cooked down the onions and white wine first, then added the cream before adding the pasta?

Ok, the burner was turned off after pretty thouroughly reducing the wine, so I don't really think heat is it. Maybe it needed flour first, though?

Answer 1

It really sounds more like a problem with the cream and not the method. It is true that it is added last, BUT cream will reduce. I am talking about what would be called in the US Heavy Whipping cream. If you are using half and half or milk it will curdle because of a lack of fat. You would need to make a roux.

There are many recipes that call for adding cream and reducing by half.

Also I have found the super pasteurized products don't work well. By super pasteurized I mean those that have expiration dates of a month or more.

I have even seen non fat half and half and I do not have a clue as to what that could be.

Answer 2

Curdled Cream Sauce

Answer 3

As stated by the other members, usually cream is added at the end. Too much heat or acid could cause it to curdle. It is meant as a finish to the sauce to give it texture and shine.

The reduction is usually the other ingredients with a broth or wine, boiled and reduced to a syrupy consistency and the "finished" with cream.

Answer 4

About Hot Cream/egg yolk Sauces:
Blending is tricky, and after a while you both will be skilled at it!
Tips: for Wine with Cream
If you add the wine before, not after the eggs and/or cream, you will avoid curdling, and that a mixture can be stabilized with an extra bit of cream when separation threatens.
**On low heat, stir until sauce thickens
**Do not allow the cream to boil, or it will curdle.
Egg Yolks in sauce.
Never add egg yolks directly to hot liquid. Stir them into a little cream then "incorporate them with some of the hot sauce" you wanted to thicken, stir this mixture into the remainder of the hot liquid and continue to stir over low heat until the sauce thickens. (also on low heat)
I hope these Tips help with Your Team Effort! Practice and Patience is all it takes.

Answer 5

Sounds more like too little fat and no starch, plus adding the cream too quickly. And with eggs, you have to 'temper' the eggs first.

For a cream sauce, after the fat (of whatever type you are using) is ready, add a bit of FLOUR to it, to make a roue. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes, to get rid of the 'raw flour' taste. THEN, slowly, slowly add the cream.

For any type of egg sauce, you need to put some of the HOT liquid into the COLD eggs (just a bit, to slowly bring the temperature up). This is 'tempering'. Once you've done that once or twice, you can slowly add the eggs into the hot pan, constantly stirring.

Answer 6

Did you add the cream while the reduction was boiling? This will make it curdle. It took me forever to get it right but you just need to make sure that the sauce has cooled a little prior to adding the cream.

Answer 7

Chances are you are adding an acid base to a non-acid base at the wrong time and its leaving you with something curdled. Try adding your wine first and letting it cook for a bit, then add the cream. And, wait to add the salt until after you've cooked everything else.

Answer 8

Easy Alfredo Sauce 9-15-89 Ingredients 1 pint heavy whipping cream or milk 1/2 cup butter or margarine 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese In a medium saucepan combine whipping cream, butter or margarine, and grated Parmesan cheese. Cook over medium low heat until smooth. Remove from heat. Sauce will thicken upon standing. Cook about 15 min. (my home recipe card )

Answer 9

Cream should be added just before you are ready to serve and only heated, not boiled. Chances are you are getting it too hot.

Answer 10

your pan is too hot... turn down the burner.