Fierce Foodie: Clafoutis, anyone?

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a blogumn by Roya Hamadani

Photo Credit: Beth Taylor

Claufoutis.  It’s not a fungus, or a French soccer player, or a river in Belgium.  It is an easy fruity treat and a great way to use up summer’s berries, particularly if you are like me and tend to forget about them until they are a little mushy and overripe.

 

Claufoutis comes from that family of messy fruit desserts baked in an oven.  It is wetter than a cobbler and contains no oatmeal or streusel topping like a Brown Betty.  It is almost custardy in consistency and is good hot or cold.  Typically it is served for breakfast, but I think it’s also a great summer dessert with ice cream.

 

The recipe after the jump is adapted from Outlaw Cook by John Thorne, who I consider to be a truly great food writer.  He feels it.  I read his books again and again and again, and sometimes while I’m eating.  It’s food erotica.

 

Clafoutis

 

Fruit – approximately 12 oz prepared

Zest from one small lemon, grated

2 tbsp granulated sugar plus additional to sweeten fruit

½ cup all purpose flour

¼ tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1 tbsp unsalted butter

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Wash and prepare fresh fruit, such as strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, cherries, plums.  You can also use frozen fruit, but don’t bother with canned.  I usually slice up large fruits but leave the berries whole.

 

Mix the lemon zest with 2 tbsp sugar in a small bowl to make lemon sugar.  Set aside.

 

In large bowl, sift ½ cup of flour with ¼ tsp salt.  In small bowl, whisk eggs and milk.

 

Add wet to dry ingredients a little at a time to prevent clumps.  Stir in lemon sugar.

 

Sauté fruit in butter, and once soft, sprinkle sugar over top.

 

Butter a pie dish.  Pour in fruit.  Top with batter.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until set and puffy, golden brown delicious.