It's springtime, and our garden is producing rhubarb already! A clafoutis (cluh-foo-tee) is a "country-French" dessert typically made using fresh cherries or peaches. However, the recipes I looked at are all quite simple, so I took a chance and modified it for rhubarb. The results - snappy rich flavor and a colorful rustic appearance. It's yummy warm, at room temperature, and my husband topped it with natural vanilla ice cream.
When I found this Orangette post this summer, it was the first time I had ever heard of clafoutis. I went looking for some other versions of the recipe, to get a better handle on what it is. It seems most use stone fruits like cherries, but it is much too early in the season for those. The following recipe is an amalgam, thanks to the inspiration of several recipes - it is my own twist, particularly the spices, rhubarb and almonds.
When I found this Orangette post this summer, it was the first time I had ever heard of clafoutis. I went looking for some other versions of the recipe, to get a better handle on what it is. It seems most use stone fruits like cherries, but it is much too early in the season for those. The following recipe is an amalgam, thanks to the inspiration of several recipes - it is my own twist, particularly the spices, rhubarb and almonds.
INGREDIENTS
- 1-2 C fresh fruit - use fruit that is in season, for best flavor.
- 3 large eggs
- 1/3 C granulated sugar
- 1 C whole milk
- 1 1/2 T vanilla extract
- A dash or two of cardamom and nutmeg
- A pinch of salt
- 1/2 C unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 C slivered almonds
- Powdered sugar for garnish
PREPARATION
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and lightly butter a 9-inch pie dish.
- Arrange fruit in decorative pattern (if using large pieces of fruit) in pie dish. Layer almonds in over top.
- Whisk eggs and sugar until pale yellow (~1min.).
- Add the milk, vanilla, and salt, and whisk to combine.
- Sprinkle flour slowly into mixture, whisking to combine until smooth.
- Pour batter gently over fruit.
- Bake until puffed and golden around edges (~45-50) min.
- Remove from oven, and cool ~1/2 hour prior to serving. You'll notice it settle/deflate slightly.
- I used brown sugar, and a little extra, to balance the tartness of the rhubarb.
- I mixed 2% and cream because I didn't have whole milk on hand.
- Lemon juice, almonds, nutmeg and cardamom were not part of original recipe, but complimented the rhubarb marvelously.
- Powdered sugar isn't necessary - use it only if you feel you need a garnish. I didn't use it, and didn't miss it.
SOURCE NOTES
Le Crac/La Carotte Joyeuse
(The Happy Carrot)
690 Rue Saint-Jean
- Sugar, almonds and spices are available in bulk.
- Rhubarb is easy to cultivate, and serves as an attractive perennial in landscaping. Consider growing some!
3 comments:
Thank you! Rhubarb is abundant everywhere in my town right now, so I made this without the lemon juice, used 2% milk, regular sugar, and dusted with powdered sugar. Even made one for our neighbor......so two cups of rhubarb per pie......We loved it warm, but hate to admit that my husband and I finished half the pie!
Oooooh... Un dessert à la rubarbe ! Et voilà des réminiscences de mon enfance qui me reviennent à l'esprit. Ma mère (cette sainte femme) avait un jardin potager qui faisait notre bonheur, avec entre autre des plants de rhubarbe. Ce n'est pas forcément très bon au premier abord, mais quel délice quand c'est bien préparé !
Il va falloir que je me renseigne sur toutes ces recettes qu'elle nous faisait alors (je me rappelle notamment une tarte à la rhubarbe, sans doute assez proche du clafoutis, mais sur une pâte sablée ! Mmmmmh...).
Surtout qu'on a encore quelques tiges de rhubarbe au frigo, ça serait dommage de passer à côté ! Bertille se fera un plaisir de compléter sa panoplie de cuisine sur la rhubarbe !
M
Alors voilà comme promis la recette de ma mère :
« - pâte brisée [bin là, même pas une pâte sablée !]
- rhubarbe coupée en morceaux par dessus : il faut en mettre beaucoup
- 2 œufs mélangés avec de la crème (ou du lait) et du sucre ; il faut pas mal de sucre car la rhubarbe est très acide. Tu verses le mélange par dessus, il doit recouvrir la rhubarbe mais juste ; puis au four.
Cuisson comme une tarte aux pommes : 30 min à four chaud.
Hummmm miam, miam... Régalez-vous bien ! »
C'est comme une version simplifiée ! Pour autant, je veux bien tenter avec les amandes et la muscade !
M
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