#1049 - Clafoutis

You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.

RK1049clafoutis073112.mp3

July 31st, 2012     #1049 - Clafoutis

This has been a fabulous year for plums here in Maryland.  I've had a blast going to the market every week to see what's coming in next.   I've tried the yellow Shiro, the red Santa Rosa, the dusky Moyer and the early arriving Methley.   Although I love eating them right out of my hand, I must admit that I am very fond of another way of making use of seasonal pit fruits.   And here at Radio Kitchen, we think the clafoutis seems to have been invented for just this very reason.

This is a custardy-cakey concoction that makes brilliant use of cherries, plums, apricots, pears and peaches.   In fact, any version that doesn't feature cherries is actually called a "Flaugnarde," but that is not as much fun to say.

The clafoutis is a very simple dish to prepare.   You need fruit and you need the batter.   That's it.   The batter is half-way between custard and a pancake.   It's a thickish mixture of flour, eggs, milk and sugar, with a touch of vanilla and a pinch of salt.   It can be prepared by hand or in a food processor.   Give it an hour or so in the fridge to come together.

Use a 10" pyrex pie dish, or better yet, a custom designed clafoutis dish with its famous scalloped circumference.   Pour a bit of the batter into the bottom of the dish, and bake in the oven until it is firm.   Take it out, let it cool down a little, and then begin to assemble your fruit.   And don't feel compelled to use just one type of fruit.   Different varieties and colors of plums, for example, offer possibilities, as does the mix and match approach.   Then, working with plums, we will cut them in half, remove the pits, and arrange them artfully in the pie dish.   If you want to get really artsy, you can quarter the plums and have them leaning on one another in concentric rings.   

After the fruit has been arranged on the base, pour in the rest of the batter until the fruit is about 2/3 covered.   Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes, until an inserted knife comes out clean.   Allow it to cool a few minutes, then dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately.

                Traditional Clafoutis Batter

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
2 tbs white sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 tbs melted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
powdered sugar for garnish

1.  Mix all the ingredients in a food processor until thoroughly blended.  Pour into a bowl, cover and chill in a refrigerator for at least one hour.