06.06.09
Cherries in June…
Photos by Cecilia Lee (cecilia@gourmetsenses.com)
It’s one of those cheerful Saturdays that I feel completely relaxed. I’m in a colorful state of mind this morning, perhaps because I had a good workout at the gym. Or maybe it’s because I realize I will be a dinner guest at my friends’ house tonight. Translation: no work, all play.
I couldn’t sit still. So I decided to make something easy in the kitchen. Next weekend I’m leading a group to go cherry-picking. I used to do this with a bunch of friends every year. Then I stopped because I ate too many one year and ended up with a strange case of hives. That only lasted a few days, but the memory kept me from going back for a few years. This time, I will remind myself not to go wild on those deliciously fresh cherries. I will bring them back and share them with a chef friend who wants to make something good out of them, like ice-cream and preserves. I reckon I’ll post something about it in the near future. Meanwhile, I made something easy and sweet today to inspire you to do something with these beautiful fruits yourself. After all, they are in season. This is the best time to play with cherries.
I decided to make a classic clafoutis. It’s a rustic custard-based dessert that originated from southern France. I imagine their cherries are growing all over the place by now. I try to stay authentic so I don’t remove the pits from the fruit. Before I serve this, I usually warn the guests about it so nobody loses any teeth. Depending on the time of the year, you can try other fruits like plums, blueberries, raspberries, etc. This dessert takes 15 minutes to prepare, and another 15-25 minutes to bake depending on the depth of your baking dish. Hope you will give this a try.
Clafoutis
Serves 6-8 (Printable recipe here)
4 eggs, yolks separated
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour, sifted
3 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream
15-20 fresh cherries, washed and stemmed
A pinch of salt
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Grease a medium or large baking dish.
- In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with 1/4 cup of sugar until the egg mixture appears creamy.
- Add flour, vanilla extract, and heavy cream. Beating the mixture until it’s completely blended.
- Preheat the greased baking dish in the oven for about 5 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until it becomes slightly foamy.
- Add the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture and beat for another minute or so.
- In another bowl, add 1/4 cup of sugar to the cherries to mix.
- Put the cherries in the preheated baking dish, and pour the batter in right after.
- Bake the clafoutis for 15-25 minutes, until it turns golden brown on top, and it is set in the center.
- Serve warm and enjoy.
