Cherry clafoutis

As with many simple recipes, doing it well turned out to be a challenge. Over the last twenty years, I’ve made so many rubbery fruit omelettes that if I didn’t have the vague memory of that warm, tender, cherry-filled custard as a touchstone, I’d have given up completely. A few years ago, when I had a glut of cherries, I decided to try clafoutis again. This time, though, I invested in a little forethought. After noticing the similarities in their batters, I wondered if I might not apply the main lesson I’ve learned from making crepes to clafoutis. If what makes a crepe tender is rest—and lots of it—then perhaps a long, post-mix rest would yield a more tender clafoutis, as well. To my utter surprise, it worked!

Serves one 30cm clafoutis

INGREDIENTS

Requires 4 hours or overnight resting

• 4 medium eggs
• 134g granulated sugar
• 11/4 teaspoons (4g) kosher salt
• 240g soured cream
• 160g full-fat milk
• 2 tablespoons Noyau Extract (page 438) or 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 68g plus 1 tablespoon plain flour
• 675g sweet cherries, pitted and halved
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 14g unsalted butter
• Icing sugar, for serving

METHOD

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon (3g) of the salt, the soured cream, milk, and noyau (or almond) extract until smooth. Sprinkle 68g of the flour over the custard mixture and whisk until smooth. Transfer the custard to a 1-litre container, cover, and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
2. About 1 hour before you plan to bake, pull the custard mixture out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. Adjust oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions, place a clean, well-seasoned 30cm cast-iron frying pan on the lower rack, and preheat to 220°C.
3. Line a baking tray with parchment and lay out the cherries, cut-side up (it’s fine if they crowd each other a bit). Roast on the upper rack for 15 minutes, until tender and beginning to dry out. Let the cherries cool a bit, then transfer to a medium bowl and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour, the cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon (1g) kosher salt. Toss to coat the cherries evenly.
4. Carefully remove the hot frying pan from the oven and add the butter. Swirl it around the pan to coat the bottom and sides as it melts. Pour in the batter and arrange the cherries evenly on top of the batter (it’s fine if some of them sink).
5. Return the pan to the lower rack and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the clafoutis puffs and browns. If the top of the clafoutis isn’t browning after 15 minutes, rotate and transfer the pan to the upper rack and continue baking until the centre of the custard barely jiggles and the temperature registers 90°C.
6. Allow to rest for 5 minutes, then serve warm, either straight from the pan or flipped out onto a serving platter. Shower with icing sugar.

NOTE: If you don’t have a 30cm cast-iron frying pan, you can use a 25cm and increase the cooking time by 2 to 3 minutes. Or use a 30cm stainless-steel frying pan, but keep a closer eye on the clafoutis, as it may cook more quickly.

TIP: For an Apricot Clafoutis, substitute 675g of quartered fresh apricots for the cherries.