Clafoutis Rapide aux Fruits de Saison
Le Goûter: The Sacred French 4 PM Transition
At four in the afternoon, a quick, dump-and-bake crêpe batter is poured over a pint of supermarket berries, or whatever fruit is surviving on your counter, in a buttered ceramic dish, timed perfectly for when the kids come tearing through the door. If you whisk the flour into the eggs before adding the dairy, you'll never see a lump. Using supermarket half-and-half instead of heavy cream keeps the batter light enough to puff, and gets you that flawless, wobble-in-the-center custard. Dust the top with powdered sugar, hand out spoons, and serve it lukewarm, straight from the pan.
Before you start
Preheat the oven to 400°F and prepare the baking dish.
Generously rub a 9-inch round ceramic tart dish or cast-iron skillet with the cold butter, then dust the inside with a tablespoon of sugar, tapping out the excess to ensure a beautifully caramelized edge.
Arrange the fruit in the dish.
Place your chosen fruit in a single, snug layer on the bottom of the prepared dish.
Ingredients
- seasonal fruit such as cherries apricots plums or apples1 1/2 lb
- large eggs3 large
- granulated sugar1/2 cup
- all-purpose flour1/2 cup
- cornstarch1/4 cup
- fine sea salt1/4 tsp
- half-and-half1 1/2 cup
- vanilla extract1 tsp
- dark rum or Kirsch1 tbsp
- unsalted butter2 tbsp
- cold unsalted butter1 tbsp
Method
- 01
Whisk the eggs, sugar, and salt into a pale froth.
In a large mixing bowl, aggressively whisk the room-temperature eggs, the half cup of sugar, and the salt for about a minute until the mixture lightens in color.
- 02
Incorporate the flour and cornstarch to build a smooth paste.
Add the flour and cornstarch all at once, whisking just until it forms a thick, perfectly smooth, lump-free paste. By keeping the liquid low at this stage, the lumps have nowhere to hide—this is the grandmother's secret to a flawless batter.
- 03
Stream in the lukewarm half-and-half and flavorings.
Switch to a gentler whisking motion and slowly pour in the lukewarm half-and-half, vanilla, and rum or Kirsch. Whisk until the batter reaches the consistency of heavy cream, then stir in the melted butter.
- 04
Pour the batter over the fruit and bake.
Gently pour the liquid over the fruit, which should just barely peek through the top. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
- 05
Look for a dramatic puff and a slight wobble in the center.
The edges will puff up like a soufflé and turn golden brown, but the dead center should still have the slightest jelly-like jiggle when gently shaken.
- 06
Cool slightly before serving.
Remove from the oven and watch it deflate as it cools—this is exactly what it's supposed to do. Serve it lukewarm right out of the pan.
Notes
The Flognarde distinction.
Culinary purists will tell you that a clafoutis made with anything but cherries is technically a 'Flognarde.' Use that trivia to impress your guests, but call it whatever you want in your own kitchen.
Replicating the cherry pit flavor.
Traditionalists bake cherry clafoutis with the pits intact to release a subtle almond flavor into the custard. If you pit them to keep the kids safe, sneak a tiny drop of bitter almond extract into the batter to make up for it.
From Cook French in America.