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France, Europe · Cherry Clafoutis

Brown Butter Almond Cherry Clafoutis

A pâtisserie-style clafoutis: a rested batter enriched with nutty brown butter, ground almonds and cream, baked over lightly macerated cherries.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time55 min
Resting the batter+ 30 min
DifficultyMedium

Method

  1. Wash, stem and stone the cherries, then toss them in a bowl with the sugar for the cherries and the lemon juice. While the batter rests they release juice and taste more intense.

    Add in this stepCherries (stoned) 300 gSugar (for the cherries) 2 tspLemon juice 1 tsp

  2. Melt the butter for browning in a 14 cm small pan over medium-low heat, swirling the pan, for . When the foam settles, the milky bits on the bottom turn hazelnut brown and it smells nutty, pour it straight into a bowl to cool a little. Left in the pan it burns within seconds.

    Add in this stepButter (for browning) 20 g

    medium-low heat

  3. Whisk the eggs (and yolk, if using) with the batter sugar for until slightly paler, then add the salt, flour and ground almonds and whisk until smooth. Gradually pour in the milk, cream and vanilla, and finally whisk in the brown butter. Cover and refrigerate for . Resting relaxes the gluten, so the clafoutis bakes softer and smoother.

    Add in this stepEggs 2Sugar (for the batter) 35 gSalt 1 pinchPlain flour 25 gGround almonds 20 gWhole milk 100 mlDouble cream 50 mlVanilla extract to taste

  4. While the batter rests, preheat the oven to 190°C. Butter a 16 cm baking dish all over, add the sugar for the dish, tilt to coat and tip out the excess.

    Add in this stepButter (for greasing the dish) 10 gSugar (for coating the dish) 2 tsp

    oven

  5. Drain the cherries in a sieve, keeping the juice, and spread them in a single layer in the dish. Give the batter a quick whisk to bring back the butter that has settled, pour it in slowly and scatter over the flaked almonds. Bake in the oven at 190°C for . It is done when it is well puffed and deep golden and the centre barely wobbles when shaken.

    Add in this stepFlaked almonds 10 g

    oven

  6. Cool for , then dust with icing sugar. Serve warm with a spoonful of the reserved cherry juice over each portion.

    Add in this stepIcing sugar to taste

Cook's tip

Scrape every brown speck of the butter into the batter: that is where the nutty flavour lives. Without ground almonds, use the same weight of flour; the texture will be a little firmer. Batter straight from the fridge slows down the centre, so let it stand for 5 minutes before pouring.

Cooking it at camp

Make the brown butter batter and macerate the cherries at home, and carry them in separate jars in the cool box. Butter a 25 cm Dutch oven, add cherries, batter and almonds, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes with 15 coals on the lid and 7 underneath. With cream in the batter, a pan on a burner catches easily, so the Dutch oven is the better choice.