More on Clafoutis and Music to Cook By

Post Date: 18 July 2015

Peach Clafoutis

In my June 29^th post on summer desserts, I discussed the Strawberry Clafoutis I had made.  This past week I made 2 Peach Clafoutis, so I thought I would talk about that this week.  Technically speaking, a Clafoutis should be made only with dark cherries; using any other fruit makes them Flaungardes.  However, if you do an online search you’ll find recipes called Pear, Peach, and Berry Clafoutis, among others.
In the first Peach one I made, I used just one large peach.  It came out well, but the ratio of the custard-like batter to fruit was high.  So I made a second with 2 peaches (pictured above), and the ratio was just right.  In addition, you can fan out the peach slices for presentation.  Some participants in last weekend’s class were asking about it, so here is my recipe.

INGREDIENTS

2 Medium/Large Peaches

4 Eggs

Pinch of Salt

Stick of Butter for Buttering Pan

1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

1 Cup of Milk (if desired, can do 2/3 cup Milk and 1/3 cup Cream)

½ Cup of Granulated Sugar

2/3 Cup of All Purpose Flour

Confectioner’s Sugar for Serving

DO FIRST

Turn on your oven to 350 degrees.

Butter the bottom and sides of your pan, then sprinkle on sugar

MAKE THE CLAFOUTIS

Cut the peaches in half, cutting around along the seam.

Twist to separate the two halves, then use your paring knife to remove the pits

Slice each of the 4 halves into ¼ inch slices, then cut off the hard sections that were next to the pit and place them in the bottom on your baking pan.

Break the 4 eggs into the bowl of the electric mixer.

Add 1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract, ½ cup of Granulated Sugar, 1 cup of Milk, and a pinch of salt to the bowl.

Turn the mixer on at a low speed to combine all the ingredients.

Gradually add in the 2/3 cup of Flour and continue mixing until just combined.

Pour the batter (it will be thin) on top of the peaches.

Place the Clafoutis on the cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees on the middle rack for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.

Let cool for 5-10 minutes on the cooling rack, then sprinkle Confectioner’s sugar on top and serve.

NOTE: When the Clafoutis comes out of the oven, it may have risen higher than the edge of the pan, but as it cools it will settle down.

Music to Cook By

In an earlier post I had mentioned that I like to listen to jazz while cooking, either vinyl, CD, or on my phone at jazzradio.com.  It is a great site with 36 different categories to choose from, so you can always find a style that suits what you’re making.  Lately I’ve been listening to the Hard Bop channel, which is great for sautéing and stir fry.  For Risotto, I go with Smooth Jazz, and if I feel like belting I go with Vocal Legends.

 Upcoming Classes

Here is the next class I will be teaching for the summer term. 

August 15 – Saturday Morning – Lunch Along the Mediterranean – Plum Center

To register for this class, or any ACE cooking classes, please go to:

http://www.fcps.edu/is/ace/specialinterest.shtml and scroll down to the Culinary section

While there, be sure to check out the other culinary courses offered by ACE’s excellent chef instructors.

Till next time, keep cooking.

Contact Chef Kevin at: KJBrady@fcps.edu