Cherry Clafouti

Cherries are bountiful in the markets at the moment, as are apricots, peaches and nectarines.  I bought a kilo of cherries and ate many of them right away, but decided to make a cherry desert for company.  Cherry Clafouti came to mind as it is a classic French dish, not too difficult to make and utterly delicious to eat.

The recipe is based on one from an old copy of The Cookery Year, published by the Reader’s Digest in the 1970s.  I’ve used this book for so many things. It has the best gingerbread recipe I know of and other tasty things.  This book is a great reference book for cooking basics as well as special things like this Clafouti.

To make Cherry Clafouti, you need:

1 ½ lbs of cherries (stoned, if possible)

3 eggs

3 level Tablespoons plain flour

Salt

3 Tablespoons sugar

15 ounce of milk

2 – 3 Tablespoons of butter

Method:

Stone the cherries

Put them into a buttered oven-proof dish

Make a pancake batter by whisking the eggs into the flour and then blending in the sugar, salt and milk.

Pour the batter over the cherries and dot with butter.

Bake at 425 F, 200 C for 25 – 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool to lukewarm. 

Sprinkle over with icing sugar and serve.

This is best served on the day it is made, but don’t worry, there won’t be any left anyway.