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January 5, 2004
The Clafoutis
I've been waiting for my father to post on this for weeks, but not a peep. Since he hasn't taken the initiative, I will take the plunge.
Remember, I've never, ever said that I have an adult's maturity.
So my mother made something called CLAFOUTIS for Christmas dinner dessert this year. Clafoutis. Is it me, or does clafoutis sound like some sort of venereal disease? It sounds like something I might hear in the halls of one of the high schools I work at:
Yo, yo, yo, why you gettin' with that 'ho? She gonna give you the clafoutis!
While the dish was quite tasty, the word clafoutis continues to give me heartburn. Am I alone here? Regardless, I've posted a clafoutis recipe below. Make it at your next dinner party...then, when some one asks you what it is, smile broadly and tell 'em like it is. Clafoutis.
Cherry Clafoutis
Barbara Lowery
This is a classic French 'batter' pudding. You just make a simple sweet batter, pout it over fruit (particularly fresh cherries) bake it, then serve warm with thick cream. It's an easy to make farm0house dish and it's delicious!
Degree of difficulty: Low
Method:
Fresh Californian Bing Cherries are in fruit shops and markets now (excellent quality) and you only need about 500 grams of cherries to serve 4 people. If fresh cherries aren't available, you could use a jar of sour cherries well drained of their liquid. It's traditional to leave the stones in the cherries as they add a bitter, slightly almond flabour to the clafoutis - but make sure you tell everyone who eats it!
Heat oven to 190°C.
Place about 500 grams of cherries in a buttered, shallow, heat proof serving dish.
In a bowl, whisk 2 eggs lightly.
Add 1/4 cup caster sugar and 1/2 cup self-raising flour and stir gently until smooth.
Gradually stir in 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup cream, and 1 tablespoon kirsch or brandy until mixture is smooth.
Pour mixture gently over cherries.
Bake at 190 C for about 25 minutes, until the top is risen and golden brown. Serve warm with thick cream.
Posted by callalillie at January 5, 2004 12:01 PM | WTF?
I still think it sounds more like a body part:
- "I'm sorry Corie, but we're going to have to remove your clafoutis..."
- "He's got a bad clafoutis and the doctors have put him on a liquid diet..."
- "After the party's debauchery her clafoutis was sore for a week..."
Okay, I'll stop now.
Posted by: corie at January 5, 2004 10:24 AM
eh? who signed in as me? is that you, dad?
Posted by: corie at January 5, 2004 12:32 PM
ha, the 'remember personal info' button strikes back!
Posted by: Jimmy Legs at January 5, 2004 12:56 PM
there's so many damn computers in my parents' house-- i forget which one i was using. odd, very odd.
Posted by: callalillie at January 5, 2004 1:13 PM
Posted by: tien at January 5, 2004 1:14 PM
sounds good but just how many cherries are in 500 grams of cherries? and what is caster sugar?
Posted by: rachelleb at January 5, 2004 1:36 PM
Posted by: callalillie at January 5, 2004 2:24 PM
Castor or caster sugar is the name of a very fine sugar in Britain, so named because the grains are small enough to fit though a sugar "caster" or sprinkler. It is sold as "superfine" sugar in the United States. Because of its fineness, it dissolves more quickly than regular white sugar, and so is especially useful in meringues and cold liquids. It is not as fine as confectioner’s sugar, which has been crushed mechanically (and generally mixed with a little starch to keep it from clumping).
-from oChef
Posted by: callalillie at January 5, 2004 2:25 PM
i think my old roomie (owner of bittman's HTCE) made this one year. i remember thinking "clafou-wha?" it wasn't one of my fave dishes, and compounded with that, it's got a name that's just plain weird.
- "After the party's debauchery her clafoutis was sore for a week..." - this one sounds ESP bad! ;)
Posted by: jeannette at January 5, 2004 7:21 PM
the mere fact that my father authored that quote is the most destrubing...
Posted by: callalillie at January 6, 2004 8:36 AM
another reason i'm REALLY glad my parents are not really online ;)
Posted by: jeannette at January 6, 2004 9:57 AM
Yup, that's what you get for clicking that "Remember personal info" button, tho I thought I'd re-entred my info, MT must have ignored me.
And by now you shouldn't be surprised at anything I say or write....
Posted by: bobtrancho at January 6, 2004 5:40 PM
I've always felt that "clafouti" sounded most like a small, skittish African animal. Something tan, with spots. The cherry-studded confection is obviously named after this imaginary critter.
Posted by: India at January 7, 2004 10:39 AM
