The creaminess of classic Alfredo, the smoothness of Veloute and the richness of Bechamel are all made possible with a heavy whipping cream reduction. Reduced heavy whipping cream imparts richness unattainable by using standard heavy cream. With a combination of ideal temperature control, timely skimming, and regular stirring, you can reduce heavy whipping cream at home.
Pour one quart of heavy whipping cream in a nonreactive saucepan.
Set the pan on the range over low heat.
Using a spoon, skim and discard the froth from the surface of the heavy cream.
Cook one quart of heavy cream for approximately 30 minutes over low heat to reduce in volume by half. Gauge the viscosity and volume of the reduction visually and cook until the desired amount is reached.
Stir the reducing heavy cream with a wooden spoon after skimming. Do not scrape the bottom of the saucepan with the spoon as scraping the pan dislodges the caramelized whey, altering the color and flavor of the cream.