Clafoutis aux Cerises et Amandes
(kla-foo-TEE oh suh-REEZ ay ah-MAHND)
Chapter 5 — Desserts & Café
Twelve hours is the non-negotiable rest for a batter that actually puffs. Purists leave cherry pits in the fruit for the bitter-almond aroma, but nobody paying for a white tablecloth wants to spit stones into a linen napkin, so pastry chefs recreate that exact magic by pitting the fruit and fortifying the batter with almond flour and Kirsch. Hydrating those starches during a twelve-hour chill is the only way to achieve that restaurant-quality custard, so coat a cast-iron skillet with cultured 83-percent butter, pour the chilled batter, and let the oven take over.
Before you start
Vigorously whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, and vanilla bean seeds in a large bowl until the mixture is pale, frothy, and slightly thickened.
Whisk the almond flour, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and sea salt into the egg mixture until just combined.
Slowly pour in the heavy cream, whole milk, one tablespoon of Kirsch, and the melted cooled butter, whisking until perfectly smooth.
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Do not skip this overnight rest; it relaxes the gluten and fully hydrates the starches to guarantee a silken, dense custard instead of a spongy cake.
Ingredients
- eggs3 large
- granulated sugar1/2 cup
- vanilla bean1 whole
- blanched almond flour1/2 cup
- all-purpose flour1/4 cup
- cornstarch2 tbsp
- fine sea salt1/2 tsp
- heavy cream1 1/4 cup
- whole milk1/2 cup
- Kirsch2 tbsp
- unsalted cultured French butter2 tbsp
- cultured French butter1 tbsp
- raw sugar2 tbsp
- fresh sweet cherries1 lb
- confectioners' sugar1 tbsp
Method
- 01
Toss the pitted cherries with the remaining tablespoon of Kirsch and let them macerate at room temperature for two hours.
- 02
Preheat your oven to 350°F and place an oven rack in the middle position.
- 03
Smear the soft cultured butter generously all over the bottom and sides of a 10-inch cast-iron skillet.
- 04
Add the raw sugar to the skillet and tilt it around until evenly coated, tapping out any excess.
This raw sugar and cultured butter layer will react with the hot cast iron to create the chewy, caramelized crust essential to the bistro style.
- 05
Arrange the macerated cherries in a single, tight layer across the bottom of the skillet.
- 06
Give the rested batter a gentle stir, then pour it over the cherries so the fruit peeks out just above the liquid line.
- 07
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes.
Watch for the clafoutis to puff dramatically around the edges and turn a deep golden brown; the center should remain slightly jiggly.
- 08
Transfer the skillet to a wire rack and let it cool for at least 30 minutes.
Do not panic when the spectacular puff immediately deflates; as it falls, the custard correctly condenses into its final, dense state.
- 09
Dust the top generously with confectioners' sugar just before bringing the heavy iron skillet to the table.
Notes
A note on the dairy.
Ensure you use high-fat cultured French butter for the pan coating; standard American sweet cream butter lacks the lactic tang and high butterfat content required to achieve the proper caramelized crust.