Plum Clafoutis

April 3, 2001

This is the time of the year when the southern autumn approaches and we are spoiled for choice when it comes to buying fruit.

Some of The Spouse's relatives were in town and we invited them round for dinner. We wanted them to enjoy some of the local salmon, so out came my favourite Jamie Oliver recipe for tray baked salmon with beans, cherry tomatoes, olives and anchovies. I'd promised the lady at the salmon farm a copy of the recipe. She was a bit hesitant when she read it. "I don't like anchovies."

When I did some Italian cooking classes a couple of years back I heard that sentence a lot. But, aggressive though anchovies may be when they first come out of the jar or can, as they cook they become more subdued. They sort of melt into a dish, contributing flavour but losing their assertiveness. Besides, anchovies can always be soaked in water or milk before going into a dish. This removes some of the saltiness and mellows the flavour.

Main course settled on, I went in search of something for dessert. There were some luscious dark omega plums at my favourite market so I settled for these and made plum clafoutis.

Clafoutis comes from the Limousin area of France, a place famous for its cherries which are frequently the basis for this dessert. However, other fruits can be substituted for cherries - plums, pears, apples.

Plum clafoutis

750g dark red plums, halved and pitted
2 tablespoons Slivovitz (plum brandy) or black rum
75g sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup plain yoghurt
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
2/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
icing (confectioners) sugar

Place the halved, pitted plums in a bowl with the plum brandy or rum and a couple of tablespoons of the sugar. Set aside for 30 minutes, tossing from time to time.

Pre-heat oven to 180C.

In a food processor beat the eggs with the vanilla and then add the sugar. Beat together. Drain the plums and add the liquid to the milk and yoghurt. Beat the flour into the eggs, alternating with the milk mix.

Grease a 25cm-28cm ceramic flan dish and arrange the plums, skin side up. Carefully pour over the batter.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is browned. Check that the topping is cooked by pressing with your fingers (it should be firm) or inserting a toothpick which should come out clean.

You may want to place an oven dish on the shelf under the flan dish as sometimes the fruit can drip as it cooks.

Serve warm, sprinkled with icing sugar. Accompany with vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.