France

FRANCE: Clafoutis

I’ve not said this before, but my Mum’s side of my family is a cooking dynasty…seriously. My Mum was a great cook and her Mum Daff (my granny) was a brilliant cook too…well before it was trendy. My sister Kate Crofton and cousins Tet Jones and Jackson Jones — all bionic in the kitchen and Jack and Tet are chefs and cook for their livings.

Overseeing this dynasty is my auntie Beatty Jones — incredible cook, socialite, wit, bon viveur and culinary inspiration to all her kids and friends. Beat lives in Provence and so there’s only one person I wanted to hear from for French desserts. Within seconds of asking she shot back a message, simply: clafoutis.

Rex and Roar always talk about Beat making clafoutis for them when they were tiny, with cherries from her tree. Can’t tell you the pleasure and memories that came back while baking this old friend. Thanks Beat, for everything. I hope this message isn’t too sappy and this one is for you. Big love, Tim and the gang ❤️

INGREDIENTS:

Butter for pan
1 and 1/4 cups whole or 2 percent milk
⅔ cup granulated sugar, divided
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
1 pint (2 generous cups) cherries
Powdered sugar in a shaker

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a medium-size flameproof baking dish at least 1 1/2 inches deep.

Place the milk, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and flour in a blender. Blend at top speed until smooth and frothy, about 1 minute.

Pour a 1/4-inch layer of batter in the baking dish. Turn on a stove burner to low and set dish on top for a minute or two, until a film of batter has set in the bottom of the dish. Remove from heat.

Spread berries over the batter and sprinkle on the remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar. Pour on the rest of the batter and smooth with the back of a spoon. Place in the center of the oven and bake about 50 minutes, until top is puffed and browned and a tester plunged into its center comes out clean.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving. (Clafoutis need not be served hot, but should still be warm. It will sink slightly as it cools.)