Tara Austen Weaver's Clafoutis

Clafoutis is a custardy pancake that hails from the Limousin region of France and is traditionally stuffed with unpitted dark cherries. The same dish made with any other fruit is called flaugnarde (though most English speakers tend to call it clafoutis too). In the summer I lean on this French treat as it makes a delicious breakfast, snack or dessert and is a convenient canvas for whatever fruit may be in season.
- Tara Austen Weaver

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Butter, for greasing

1 cup fruit (berries, stone fruit, figs, apples, or pears)

2 large eggs

1/2 cup whole milk

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Pinch of fine sea salt

Powdered sugar (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Liberally grease an 8 1/2-inch ovenproof skillet or pan with butter and set aside.

2. Wash, dry, and prepare the fruit. Berries can be left whole. Cherries should be pitted (unless you prefer the traditional style of leaving the pits in, but make sure you warn your guests). Plums, peaches, apricots, apples, and pears should be pitted or cored, as needed, and cut into thin slices (skins can be left on).

3. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg before adding the milk, sugar, flour, and salt, mixing until smooth between each addition. You can also use a blender.

4. Arrange the berries or cherries across the greased pan. Sliced fruit can be fanned out evenly. Pour the batter over the top of the fruit, making a circle around the pan and tilting to ensure complete coverage.

5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the edges color and the center is set but still custardy (if you double the recipe, plan for 45-50 minutes bake time).

6. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

This recipe is courtesy of Tara Austen Weaver and can be found in her new book, Growing Berries and Fruit Trees In The Pacific Northwest.

TARA AUSTEN WEAVER is a freelance writer, editor, and author of The Butcher & The Vegetarian (Rodale, 2010) and Orchard House: How a Neglected Garden Taught One Family to Grow (Ballantine, 2015), a memoir that chronicles how she and her family attempted to revive a long neglected Seattle garden and orchard. Tara's food blog, Tea & Cookies, established in 2006, was selected as one of the top 50 food sites in the world by both the Times of London and The Independent (UK) and has been featured on The Food Network, Saveur, Oprah.com, Apartment Therapy, The Kitchn, Reddit, and Bonappetit.com. She is a trained Master Gardener, Permaculture Designer, and Master Composter/Soil Builder.

http://taraweaver.com/
Instagram: @tea_austen