Cherry Clafoutis, photo by Olivia’s Cuisine
At first, I was pleased to learn that baking a clafoutis aux cerises with cherry pips intact was a French tradition. The recipe called for 3 cups of cherries and not having to pit the cherries was going to be a big time saver the night before the Taste of Europe Food Fair. While conforming to this tradition might be a win for mindful eating and align with the ethos of the slow food movement, the inconvenience of tiptoeing around every mouthful can’t be overstated!
Taking into consideration the limitations of transporting my dish via public transport and the difficulty of reheating food prior to the fair I settled on making a dessert and set about finding a sweet that I’d never made before. Stumbling across this classic French recipe with origins from the Limousin region of France I was immediately curious to discover the unique texture of the baked custard batter.
Left: Preparing Clafoutis, photo by Pardon Your French
Right: Fresh cherries, photo by Olivia’s Cuisine
The recipe which calls for few ingredients, namely milk, sugar, eggs, flour and cherries was a breeze to put together and with the promise of an added nutty flavour provided by the amygdalin found in cherry pits, I opted to omit the cherry-pitting step. Just over half the clafoutis was eaten at the food fair which was pleasing to see. One possible drawback could have been my presentation as the juice from the unpitted cherries discoloured the batter and I was unable to add the finishing touch of dusted icing sugar. A somewhat less fresh and inviting dish was the result.
Taste of Europe Food Fair at the Sidney Myer Asia Centre. Photo by author.
It’s easy to see how this dish could become a summer family favourite as although it is traditionally made with black cherries you could easily swap these out for any other seasonal fruit. Personally I’m looking forward to trying raspberries, plums and pears!
Observe, Taste, Create 