Clafoutis
or clafouti (pronounced kla-foo-TEE) is a French country dessert from
the Limousin region that has become very popular in North America. Traditionally
it was made with the first sweet cherries of
the season and the cherries were left unpitted so the kernels could release
their delicate almond flavor as they baked.
Today, most people prefer
this dish with pitted cherries, which makes the clafoutis much easier to eat. Although clafoutis
is considered a dessert, I agree with John Thorne who tells us in the
"Outlaw Cook" that he likes to make this dish for breakfast. But in order to make it a breakfast food, I found that the traditional
thick and rich batter, consisting of eggs, flour, cream, butter and
sugar (plus vanilla and a liqueur) had to become less sweet and also had to
be made lighter in texture and taste (more like a popover batter). To do this I followed John Thorne's example
and replaced the cream with milk, reduced the
amount of flour, sugar and eggs, the butter was no longer added to the
batter, and the liqueur was left out.
So now we have a breakfast clafoutis that starts with a layer of sweet pitted cherries, lightly
sauteed
in a little butter and sugar, to which is added a fairly thin batter. The assembled dish is then
placed
in a hot oven and baked until the batter has become slightly puffed, set, and nicely browned
around the edges. The clafoutis should be served immediately with a
dusting of confectioner's (powdered or icing) sugar and maybe some yogurt,
creme fraiche, or softly whipped cream on the side. This is definitely
a great way to start the day. The shame of it is that fresh
cherries have such a short season and what if we want to enjoy this dish
during the rest of the year. The answer is to use cherries (bottled or
canned) that are packed in a syrup. Personally I like the tart Morello
Cherries. No changes are needed to the recipe. Just be sure to drain the
cherries before using. If you want to make a clafoutis with other fruits,
may I suggest using blueberries, raspberries, plums, peaches or nectarines. The only thing to keep in mind is that
you may have to adjust the sugar depending on the sweetness of the fruit.
As always, it is important to choose our fruit carefully. Look for
sweet cherries that are bright dark red, shiny, plump, and quite firm and make
sure there is no browning around the stems. Do not buy cherries that are soft or
have brown spots, cuts, are wet or sticky, or have shriveled stems.
Pitting the cherries is always a tedious job and the task is made easier if you
have a cherry pitter. However, if you do not own such a tool, than you
need to do it by hand. The easiest way I have found to do this, is to make
a small slit in the cherry, with a small sharp knife, at the stem end of the
cherry. Then, using the tip of the knife or your thumbnail, remove the
pit. This process is best done over a bowl so any dripping juice will fall
into the bowl and not stain your countertop. Because the cut cherries
immediately start to release their juices, it is important to use them right
away.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees
C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Wash the cherries, remove
the stems and pits.
For the Clafoutis Batter: In your
food processor or blender place all the batter ingredients. Process for
about 45 - 60 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Once
the batter is completely smooth, let it rest while you prepare the fruit.
In a large 9- or 10- inch (23 or
25 cm) heavy nonstick ovenproof skillet melt the butter over medium heat making
sure the melted butter coats the bottom and sides of the pan. When the
butter is bubbling, add the pitted cherries, and cook until the cherries have
softened a bit and are coated with butter (2 - 3 minutes). Then sprinkle
the cherries with the sugar and cook until the sugar has dissolved and turns
into a syrup (1 - 2 minutes). Pour the batter over the cherries and bake
for about 20 minutes or until the clafoutis is puffed, set, and golden brown
around the edges. Do not open the oven door until the end of the
baking time or it may collapse. Serve immediately with a dusting of
confectioners sugar and yogurt, creme fraiche or softly whipped cream.
Serves 2 - 3.
Sources:
Bauer, Michael and Irwin, Fran. The San
Francisco Chronicle Cookbook. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. 1997.
Sax, Richard. Classic Home Desserts.
New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1994.
Stern, Bonnie. Bonnie Stern's Essentials of Home Cooking.
Canada: Random House of Canada Limited. 2003.
Thorne, John and Lewis Thorne,
Matt. Outlaw Cook. Farrar Straus Giroux. New York: 1992.
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