Seasonal Clafouti Food

PEAR CLAFOUTI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Butter a 10 x 3 x 1 1/2-inch round baking dish and sprinkle the bottom and sides with 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar.
• Beat the eggs and the 1/3 cup of granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. On low speed, mix in the flour, cream, vanilla extract, lemon zest, salt, and pear brandy. Set aside for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, peel, quarter, core, and slice the pears. Arrange the slices in a single layer, slightly fanned out, in the baking dish. Pour the batter over the pears and bake until the top is golden brown and the custard is firm, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with confectioners' sugar, and creme fraiche.

CLAFOUTIS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Oil or butter a 23cm flan dish or tin (not loose-bottomed) and scatter the berries over the base.
• Whizz all the batter ingredients in a blender until smooth, pour it over the fruits and bake for 20-25 mins until risen and golden brown. Serve warm.

CLAFOUTI

Steps:

• Heat milk and cream with vanilla bean and cinnamon sticks. Scald and let cool, then strain out vanilla bean and cinnamon sticks. Into strained mixture, whisk in flour, sugar, eggs and lemon zest and transfer mixture to a pitcher or a pour spout.
• Assemble berries in pre-baked, room-temperature tart shell. Raspberries should be top down (with opening down). Tightly packed but only one layer of fruit.
• Pour just enough batter over berries to almost come up even with fruit. Be careful not to put too much, but enough to fill in all the spaces and come 5/6ths of the way up the berries.
• Bake 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees until set and slightly brown on top.

MUSHROOM AND PARMESAN CLAFOUTIS

Steps:

• If the mushrooms you are using are dried, the 20 minutes of passive time is needed to plump them up. Here's how: first, rinse the mushrooms well under cold water to clean; second, place mushrooms in a 2 cup liquid measuring cup. Add one cup of hot water and set aside for 20 minutes. Then carefully remove the mushrooms from the measuring cup.
• If the mushrooms are large, slice into bite-size pieces.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (190 degrees Celsius).
• Mix together in a large bowl the filling: cream, eggs, egg yolks, half of the cheese and half the thyme. Add the mushrooms to the filling mixture and toss to coat the mushrooms evenly.
• On a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper, arrange your preferred gratin dishes. Dividing the batter evenly among the gratin dishes, top each with remaining cheese and thyme (see image).
• Bake until the batter has set and is golden and bubbling, about 30-35 minutes. The Clafoutis will rise like a soufflé, so be prepared to serve immediately (the below photograph was taken about 15 minutes after coming out of the oven and the rise has disappeared). Pair with a crisp green salad tossed with homemade vinaigrette and sprinkled with left-over shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano..

SEASONAL CLAFOUTI

Steps:

• Set the oven at 425 degrees F.
• In a food processor or blender, combine the milk, ricotta, eggs, sugar, flour, and vanilla, and process until smooth.
• Spread the fruit evenly over the bottom of an 8-inch ovenproof skillet or deep-dish pie plate. Pour the batter evenly over the top. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 30 to 35 minutes.
• Serve warm, or room temperature, or chilled, cut in wedges.

CLAFOUTI

Steps:

• In a bowl, whisk the eggs. Gradually whisk in the flour, then the sugar, and finally the boiling milk, mixing thoroughly. Let stand for 2 hours to rest.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Strain batter into a buttered 9-inch cake pan to remove any lumps. Cover the top with cherries and bake for 35 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm.

BASIC CLAFOUTIS

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and butter until the sugar is dissolved. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Pour the batter into a cast iron skillet or pie pan.
• 2. Now add your favorite fruit or flavoring (see below). Bake until the clafoutis is beautifully puffed and golden, 35-40 minutes. Serve immediately.
• Clafoutis Variations: Concord Grape Clafoutis: Once the batter is in the skillet, scatter 2 cups slightly crushed Concord or other black or red grapes on top. Cherry Clafoutis: Scatter 2 cups pitted cherries onto the batter once it's poured into pie plates. Pear Clafoutis with Pear Eau de Vie: Core 1 ripe pear and cut into pieces. Pour the batter into the skillet and top with the pear pieces. Bake. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons eau de vie and serve immediately. Milk Chocolate and Hazelnut Clafoutis: Melt 1 cup chopped milk chocolate in a large mixing bowl set above a simmering pot of water. Fold in the clafoutis batter until smooth and fully incorporated. Pour into a skillet or pie plate, sprinkle with 1/4 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts, and bake.

JULIA CHILD'S BERRY CLAFOUTIS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a medium-size flameproof baking dish at least 1 1/2 inches deep.
• Place the milk, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and flour in a blender. Blend at top speed until smooth and frothy, about 1 minute.
• Pour a 1/4-inch layer of batter in the baking dish. Turn on a stove burner to low and set dish on top for a minute or two, until a film of batter has set in the bottom of the dish. Remove from heat.
• Spread berries over the batter and sprinkle on the remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar. Pour on the rest of the batter and smooth with the back of a spoon. Place in the center of the oven and bake about 50 minutes, until top is puffed and browned and a tester plunged into its center comes out clean.
• Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving. (Clafoutis need not be served hot, but should still be warm. It will sink slightly as it cools.)