Thanks Jenise, I missed that one!
I actually made my second clafoutis last night, after having made one the night before. After years of just winging it, two nights ago I decided to try the recipe in Bocuse's "Paul Bocuse In Your Kitchen" cookbook, which has never steered me wrong.
His recipe is decidedly more cakey than other versions I've made/had, and so probably more towards your taste than the custardy ones. However, the instructions have one bake the clafoutis for 45-60 minutes at 400(f). However on my first attempt two nights ago I check the oven after 45 minutes and found the clafoutis was already so over-done that it was not salvageable. Rock hard, and almost burned.
I tried again last night, checking as I went, and it was done after only about 25 minutes. Weird. And it's not like I was using a larger, shallower pan than called for.
Anyway, as I say, his version is rather more cakey. (He does give the traditional instruction not to pit the cherries, but that's a step I always happily ignore. I need teeth.) One good thing: the thicker batter keeps the cherries in suspension. Unlike other recipes I've seen, he has you mix the cherries into the batter before pouring into the pan. Others have you lay down the fruit first, and pour the batter over the top. (And I posted M. Kamman's advice about this previously. Ie: blind bake about a third of the batter first, then lay down the fruit and the rest of the batter.) You can see in the picture what I mean. There was no problem with fruit sinking to the bottom and burning as it rested on the pan.
Clafoutis resize.jpg
My wife loves this one, btw. She likes pastries that are not on the sickly sweet side, and this certainly isn't. I did make a cherry syrup from the stones and served it on the side, which she enjoyed. But she thought it went better with this morning's coffee.
I do plan to make this again, as I have several other recipes in my collection. Next time I pick up cherries I think I'll try the version in my Time Life Foods of the World "
The Cooking of Provincial France", which seems more like the style I'm accustomed to making. It calls for proportions more akin to a crepe recipe: 1/2 c. flour, 4 eggs, and 1 1/2 c. milk, and cooked at 350. For the same size clafoutis, Bocuse calls for
1 and 3/4 c. flour, 3 eggs, and just 1/2 c. milk, plus baking powder (both call for 1/4 c. sugar). And baked at 400. You can see right there some pretty stark differences in style.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
