I have gone mad, as mad as a hatter, completely cracker-pot. I am not certain I have ever done this before, usually I am rather good, buying local(ish) food: fruits and vegetables in season, trying to minimise their carbon foot-prints. Until a few weeks ago, I was happy pushing my trolley in a supermarket, I shall not name but to which I have not returned for fear of the curse still holding; so I was browsing through the winter fruits when I saw them, snug and juicy in their transparent box, conjuring in me visions of spring blossoms.
For my defence, I have got to say that I AM FED UP WITH WINTER: winter-clothes, winter-food, winter-what-ever if it carries on I might go madder and dance through the streets dressed in a T-shirt dress, bare-footed, eating strawberries. However wrapped in my coat and gloves, I stood still in front of a punnet of cherries, I did not want to know where they came from, I did not examine the label, all what I could think of….. was : CLAFOUTIS. Lovely moist cherry clafoutis with crunchy top, bliss. Yes, I did seize the punnet, ran home, and baked.
Cherry Clafoutis
serve 6:
Tail the cherries, do not pit them (wash and dry only), the stones will add flavour to this cake.
2dl of milk (20 centiliter)
3 eggs
150g of all-purpose flour
1/4 cup of sugar
750g of fresh black sweet cherries
2 tsp of sugar
a pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of unsalted butter
To make the batter in a blender, as you would for pancake batter: combine the milk, eggs, flour, sugar and whirl them at high speed for a few seconds. To make the batter by hand, stir the flour and eggs together in a large mixing bowl, and slowly stir in the milk, sugar. Beat with a whisk until the flour lumps disappear and the batter is liquid and smooth.
Leave the batter rest for 2 hours, when it is time to use it, preheat the oven mark 5-6
Pat the cherries completely dry with paper towels, then spread them evenly in a shallow, buttered baking dish, pour in the batter.
Sprinkle with the sugar
Bake on the middle shelf of the oven(thermostat 5-6) for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and firm to the touch. The batter will raise, then fall again when out of the over. serve warm