RCP: Cherry Clafoutis

Clafoutis

• 500 g / 1.1 lb. sweet cherries, pitted if you prefer
• 100 g / 7 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
• 65 g / ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 300 mL / 1 ¼ cup whole milk
• 5 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 7.5 mL / ½ Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
• 175 g / 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
• Warm real maple syrup, for serving

Preheat oven to 400 ºF / 200 ºC. Melt 40 g / 3 Tbsp. butter. With a stand mixed fitted with wire whisk, combine the butter, milk, eggs, vanilla, sugar, and salt until smooth. Add flour in a few portions, whisking until lumps are small. Heat 30 cm / 12” cast iron skillet over medium heat, melt remaining 60g / 4 Tbsp. butter. Pour in batter, distribute cherries on top, and place in oven as quickly as practical. Bake for 15 minutes until the edge is golden-brown and the center is set. Dust with confectioner’s sugar, let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Adapted from Ina Garten’s Apple Dutch Baby.

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I think this at least the 6th clafoutis I've made, and the first I've truly been happy with in terms of the balance between custard and cake. It goes without saying that the French would be horrified at a clafoutis with cherries that have been pitted, but I've made my piece with that and always pit the cherries.

Walter, I always love the idea of clafouti but I rarely see a good recipe. What is the texture of this one when it has finished baking?

[Jenise]

So this is a Dutch Baby batter. Are clafouti's generally made this way? If so I didn't realize. A custard-hater, I avoid anything that looks wet and eggy, so I've never actually tasted a clafouti. But call it a Dutch Baby and I'm interested.

Speaking of food quirks, Jenise, I recently discovered that my brother plays for your team... other than the cheese on pizza, he won't eat white foods. Who knew?

Hi Jeff and Jenise,

Apologies, I didn't have replies turned on. To answer both of your questions, I have encounted clafoutis in the wild ranging from almost pure egg custard to almost pure birthday cake. Christine Ferber is the former, her Alsatian recipe contains no flour, just eggs and egg yolks. It's extremely rich, but in my opinion it's not a clafoutis. The dutch baby batter is somewhere in the middle, definitely very eggy and custardy when cooled, but with some cakelike qualities. I may try it again with more flour and one less egg. But in general the batter for a dutch baby and a clafoutis are in the same ballpark.

Walt

[Jenise]

Speaking of food quirks, Jenise, I recently discovered that my brother plays for your team... other than the cheese on pizza, he won't eat white foods. Who knew?

I love hot white sauces and gravies, it's just the cold creamy stuff I generally avoid. I've only met one other like me, though I understand it's a fairly common phobia, though the reasons would be different. How did you grow up with your brother not knowing this, or did he acquire this issue later in life?

Speaking of food quirks, Jenise, I recently discovered that my brother plays for your team... other than the cheese on pizza, he won't eat white foods. Who knew?

I love hot white sauces and gravies, it's just the cold creamy stuff I generally avoid. I've only met one other like me, though I understand it's a fairly common phobia, though the reasons would be different. How did you grow up with your brother not knowing this, or did he acquire this issue later in life?

There's seven years between us, so around the time he started to mature, I was out of the house. There's probably lots I don't know about him.

Jenise, do you eat hot custard?

[Jenise]

Matilda, no. I don't like eggy foods, period.

Sigh. So many good things to do with cherries and they're not quite in season yet. (When they are going for $7.50/lb that tells me they're not quite here yet. When it's half that, then I'll buy.)

(When they are going for $7.50/lb that tells me they're not quite here yet. When it's half that, then I'll buy.)

Indeed. Cherries in Berlin started at around $10 lb a few weeks ago, but I still couldn't resist buying some because I love them so much and the other summer fruits are also just beginning, so nothing is fully in gear. They have come down to $5-7/lb, and I'm buying more. I would like them a lot more at $3.50/lb!! But I do love cherries...

(When they are going for $7.50/lb that tells me they're not quite here yet. When it's half that, then I'll buy.)

Indeed. Cherries in Berlin started at around $10 lb a few weeks ago, but I still couldn't resist buying some because I love them so much and the other summer fruits are also just beginning, so nothing is fully in gear. They have come down to $5-7/lb, and I'm buying more. I would like them a lot more at $3.50/lb!! But I do love cherries...

Are they good when they're so early? I'm usually not so happy to eat them out of hand at this stage. I want to make a tart with rhubarb, another batch of mostarda, and this clafoutis but I would prefer ripe fruit for it.

Are they good when they're so early? I'm usually not so happy to eat them out of hand at this stage. I want to make a tart with rhubarb, another batch of mostarda, and this clafoutis but I would prefer ripe fruit for it.

These early ones have been coming from Italy and Spain. The very first ones were tart but they've been sweet and good, even if not as pristine and perfect as super local fruit. Had some great ones in France last week as well that were super ripe. Maybe Euro season starts earlier.

[Jenise]

The early Californians that I've had so far have been disappointing. Washington's may not come in much better. It has been very chilly up here!