Since celebrity chef Sean Brock opened his Nashville flagship restaurant, Audrey, in 2021, the restaurant has been hailed for fusing traditional Appalachian cuisine with gourmet inspiration. A peek into the restaurant’s upper-level “lab” reveals a space dedicated to creatively reviving items that would otherwise be considered waste in other kitchens. There, you’ll find jars of fermenting vegetable chunks next to wild onion flowers that are being freeze-dried for use as a spring garnish.
But last year, when Audrey’s first brunch menu was being brainstormed, head chef Colin Shane decided to combine two already coveted elements to create something truly magical. He suggested ham and cream. (Now, let it sink in for a while.)
Inspiration came from a meal Shane had at a blackberry farm in Walland, Tennessee, where executive chef Cassidy Dabney served a pea dish with ham-accented cream. “There’s no shortage of country ham scraps and skin around Audrey. I thought it would be perfect for potatoes, so I took the recipe and modified it a bit using the tools I have in the lab,” says Shane. says. “Sean burst out laughing at the idea. I could tell he was excited.”
Once you understand the concept, which is similar to latkes and sour cream with a decidedly non-kosher twist, the alchemy becomes very easy. After chopping the country ham trimmings and warming them in cream, the mixture is strained, chilled, and whipped. (Full recipe below.) “When you make it right, it’s bright white and has a Cool Whip texture,” says Shane, but when it’s brought to the table over hash browns, guests admits that they don’t necessarily know what to expect. “It’s really cool, fun, quirky food. Lots of flavor, but not heavy.”
Of course, once you’ve made ham cream, you’ll want to spoon it over everything. After some coaxing, Shane suggests: “For an even more sweet and savory taste of ham cream, try putting ham cream on top of a slice of apple pie.”
