Rhubarb Clafouti

If you are the proud owner of a rhubarb plant or two, you may have noticed that rhubarb is conspiring to take over the world. My plants are thick and lively, and each is sprouting several huge flower stalks that look like something from an alien or prehistoric landscape. (Or are those super-sensitive communication antennae being used to coordinate the rhubarb revolution?)

I have many favorite rhubarb recipes, but in the spring and early summer, I’m looking for new ways to feature it. Yesterday, I decided to revisit a recipe that I have been shamefully neglecting since posting it: clafouti. I figured the rhubarb could be a good substitute for the cherries in the traditional recipe, and I could make some tweeks to accommodate its unique characteristics.

If you are not familiar with clafouti (you might also see “clafoutis”), it is a custard-like dessert with some added flour that gives it a bit of cake-like backbone. It should be somewhat dense for a custard, but not rubbery or gluey, not quite getting to the heavier texture of a dumpling. It’s somewhat sweet, but the custard itself has a relatively mild flavor so as not to overshadow the fruit that it holds together. Cherry is a common fruit in clafouti, but pears, apples or prunes can be featured as well. I’ve even made a savory version with cherry tomatoes.

The properties of rhubarb I thought I would need to compensate for in my most recent clafouti are its extreme sourness and its excessive moisture. I adjusted for the tart taste by simply adding more sugar, and I put in some extra flour in hopes of counteracting the extra water I thought would be coming with the rhubarb.

The results were delicious! There was plenty of the tart flavor of the rhubarb all through each bite, but it was tamed by just enough sugar. The custard base was denser due to the extra flour, but it was still very tender and melt-in-your mouth smooth without being weepy or watery. The clafouti puffed up dramatically when baking, rising about an inch and a half above the edge of my pie plate. It stood tall, however, holding itself up rather than slumping or spilling over.

 

There’s a splash of brandy in this recipe, too, and while I can’t say I could taste it specifically, it adds a little something to the custard. I’ve also been playing around with Toasted Sugar, as made famous by Stella Parks. (You can find the method to make your own here at Serious Eats). I made up a whole batch and have been including it in most of my baking. I used it in my Rhubarb Clafouti, which added some subtle caramelly undertones, but you can make a good dessert with regular granulated sugar as well.

 

Personally, I welcome our new rhubarb overlords, since I’ve been a big fan of theirs most of my life. Just don’t tell them I know the invasion is in progress. I’m not quite ready to give up my desserts.

Rhubarb Clafouti

Based on a recipe in The Joy of Cooking

4 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup milk (I used 2%)

1 tablespoon brandy

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup al-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

¾ pound chopped rhubarb

Powdered sugar or whipped cream for serving

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter a 9 or 10-inch deep dish pie plate or a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Set aside

2. Whisk the eggs together in a medium-size bowl. Gradually whisk in the sugar. Continue to whisk until the mixture is very smooth and has slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

3. Whisk in the milk, brandy, and vanilla extract. Gradually whisk in the flour, making sure no large lumps form. Whisk together until smooth.

4. Arrange the rhubarb in the bottom of the prepared pie plate or pan. Pour the egg mixture over the rhubarb.

5. Carefully transfer to the oven. If you use a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate, it will be very full. Put the plate on a baking pan in the oven to avoid spilling over, if desired.

6. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350F. Bake an additional 35-40 minutes, or until the center is set and no longer liquid. The clafouti will puff considerably when baking, but will collapse at least slightly as it cools. Cool 5-10 minutes. Slice into wedges and serve warm with a sprinkling of powdered sugar or a dollop of whipped cream.

Makes about 8 servings. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated.

Other recipes like this one: Cherry Clafouti, Rhubarb Custard Pie, Rhubarb Custard Bars, Savory Cherry Tomato Clafouti

One year ago: Orange and White Chocolate Cookies

Clafouti

Perhaps you’ve never tried making clafouti because it seems exotic and complicated. It intimidates you and it has a funny name. Or, perhaps you’ve never tried making clafouti because you’ve never heard of it and have no idea what the heck it is.

Well, clafouti is a French dessert that is sort of a cross between a custard and a cake. It sets up a little more firmly than custard, but doesn’t achieve anything like the airy sponginess of a typical cake. It’s sort of like a big fat pancake, sort of like a dense flan. It’s a little eggy, not really sweet, and is typically loaded with seasonal fruit.

Traditionally, clafouti is made with cherries, which is what I did recently with some super-ripe, dark burgundy-colored Bing cherries. Supposedly, an old-school approach involves leaving the stones in the cherries for additional flavor. I’m not so sure that whatever extra flavor the cherry pits might bring along is worth the potential extra dental bills, so I removed them. I don’t have any kind of fancy cherry pitter, so I just cut the cherry flesh away from the stones. It’s pretty tedious, I suppose, but the ultimate result is dessert, so it’s worth it.

I worked from a recipe in Joy of Cooking for this clafouti. I used a well-seasoned cast iron pan 10 inches in diameter to bake it, but you could use another oven-proof vessel of similar size. The technique is really quite simple, not much different that that of a frittata. Place the cherries in the bottom of a pan, whisk up some eggs, sugar, flour and a little other flavoring (I used cherry liqueur and vanilla extract) and pour it over the cherries. Instead of stirring up the egg mixture on the stovetop like in a frittata, however, the clafouti is left on its own in the oven to puff up as it bakes. I also sprinkled sliced almonds on the top before putting it in the oven.

Though it puffs in the oven, the clafouti will collapse as it cools. The resulting cake/custard is dense and quite rich, but it isn’t too sweet, so the cherries are free to fill that role. It was very good hot or warm, but I didn’t try it cold. The leftovers heated surprisingly well in the microwave. My guess is that the flour in the mixture stabilizes the custard enough so that the reheated clafouti doesn’t turn mushy or watery. If you and your dinner guests don’t eat the whole pan of cherry clafouti for dessert, I highly recommend heating up what is left the next morning. Eggs, milk and fruit are usually pictured as “part of this complete breakfast” after all.

Cherry Clafouti
Adapted from Joy of Cooking, 1997 edition.

1 pound bing cherries
4 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon cherry liqueur (optional)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
butter for the baking pan
¼ cup sliced almonds

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Remove pits from the cherries and coarsely chop. Set aside.

2. Whisk the eggs together in a medium-sized bowl. Gradually bean in the sugar and continue whisking until the mixture is very smooth and slightly thickened.

3. Whisk in the milk, liqueur if using, and vanilla extract. Slowly whisk in the flour and salt, trying to avoid creating large lumps.

4. Butter the bottom and sides of a 10-inch cast iron skillet (or deep dish pie pan). Arrange the pitted cherries in the bottom of the pan. Pour the egg mixture over the cherries. Sprinkle the almonds over the top.

5. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F. Continue baking 30-35 minutes more, or until the top is well puffed and the custard-like cake is no longer runny, but well-set.

6. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack or trivet for at least 10 minutes. The clafouti will collapse upon standing. If the clafouti is sticking to the sides of the pan, run a knife along the edges to loosen it. Cut into wedges and serve.

Makes 8-10 servings. Cover and refrigerate leftovers. They reheat in the microwave quite well and make a pretty good breakfast. This would also probably be good served with ice cream or whipped cream.

Another recipe with cherries: Cherry Plum Crisp

One Year Ago: Sauteed Cabbage with Caraway and Cider Vinegar