I first came across these in Allan Bay's 'Cuochi si Diventa 2'. Daft, not to have realised that the clafouti theme can be applied to rather more than just apples, pears and cherries - which I've been doing for years, on the back of Anne Willan and Bruno Loubet. I suppose the concept is a cross between a pastryless quiche, a kind of frittata, and a sponge pudding. Anyway, they are light, quick, extremely versatile, and highly recommended. In his book, Bay gives recipes for both a savoury and a sweet clafouti 'base' and then lists combinations of ingredients that can be used in combination with either one or the other. Made in individual egg dishes, these are dinner-party presentable, and if you can get them from oven to table before they deflate, then they give good theatre, too.
The following is the recipe for the savoury clafouti base. Recently, I've then been pouring this into a couple of individual egg dishes, which have first had a layer put into them of diced cooked ham and diced gorgonzola; others of his combinations are herring and onion, bacon and leek, tomato and mushroom, artichoke heart and capers....in fact, pretty much anything you like.
Savoury base for two individual clafoutis.
Ingredients: 1 Egg; 100 ml Milk; 50 ml Cream; 20g Flour; 20g Parmesan; a generous pinch of Salt; Peppr, to taste.
1. Roughy chop the Parmesan, and pulverize it in the liquidizer.
2. Add to the liquidizer jar all the rest of the ingredients and liquidize to a smooth, thick batter.
3. Pour this carefully over a layer of your chosen flavouring ingredients in the base of two greased individual egg-dishes, and bake for twenty minutes or so in an oven pre-heated to 220 degrees C. Take them out when they are risen, browned, and clearly done. Rush to table before they deflate.
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5 comments:
Savoury? Why did I never think of it before? I have always preferred savoury to sweet. A light bulb moment, obviously...
I was the same. It had never occurred to me, and of course when it does, the idea seems obvious. If you google 'savoury clafouti' (prefereably on google.fr, it has to be said) then you'll discover the French have already been down this road, ages ago, and there are any number of recipes available.
Good afternoon, Pomiane. So this is the third recipe of yours I have tried. This time (see cod in chorizo sauce) I followed your instructions to the letter, making a clafouti with a ham and gorgonzola dolce base. Huge success again except that I didn't have any individual egg dishes, so I made it in one larger one. When I served it out some clearish liquid seeped out onto the plates... something had separated I reckon. Why? Could it be to do with the fact that the cream here is a bit dicey? It wasn't a problem, it tasted divine, but it wasn't ideal from a presentation point of view.
Well - I blush (I think) at your fulsome praise. And thanks, in return, as I'd completely forgotten about the fish in chorizo sauce (it was a long time ago, now), and now that you've remiinded me of it, it can return to the current menu-list. Re not liquidizing the sauce, that's always a personal preference; about the two stocks, though, I'd advise trying it again using both...the presence`of the fish stock will make an appreciable difference.
Re 'liquid' in your savoury clafouti, I can't think why that would have happened; although I always use small egg dishes, and so never actually have to serve the clafouti out of the dish, I'm fairly sure that mine are always 'dry'. I doubt it's to do with the quality of your cream; I don't know where you are, but the cream here in Italy is pitiful, and so if the recipe works here, I would think it would work anywhere. Could your oven not have been hot enough, maybe?
Yep, I'm in Italy. I've tried it again. Same cream (well, at least from same shop), same oven (a Miele), but this time in individual ramekins. Absolutely excellent. Miles better than frittata which, whatever I do, always comes out dry. I've bought Allan Bay's book and I'm looking forward to trying out different fillings. Thank you so much!
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