A rhubarb idea
By esther on Thursday, June 21 2007, 13:31 - Something sweet - Permalink
This clafoutis recipe has been a long time coming. It has taken me almost an entire year to finally figure out a recipe that I like. I started out last July by attempting an apricot clafoutis. I imagined sweet apricots melting into a nest of custard-like cake. The end result was disappointing. It tasted fine (maybe a little too sweet) but the consistency was a total failure. The clafoutis was decidedly more cake than custard and it didn't have the melt in your mouth quality that I was looking for.
I decided to give the dessert another try when Betsy asked for recipe ideas for rhubarb a few weeks ago. I'm so jealous of everyone back home that is inundated by rhubarb. Here, I could only find it at the market for a week or two then SWOOSH it was like it never even existed. I asked for it at almost every stall and I pretty much got the same answer everywhere, "Oh, no. We don't DO rhubarb." Well, I do DO rhubarb and was thrilled that my trip out to our local pick-your-own yielded a rather large almost untouched patch of rhubarb goodness.
My second attempt with a different recipe from the internet turned out to be another failure. This time the clafoutis was egg-y and too much like a flan but my patience paid off with a third attempt! I used my original recipe from Jean-Luc Petitrenaud as a starting point. I cut out most of the flour and replaced it with cornstarch, used light heavy cream instead of milk, replaced the double cream with light crème fraîche and added some almond extract. The extract gives the tart rhubarb a wonderful warm undertone without adding sweetness.
Bon appétit Betsy and Salinda!
Another current obsession is rhubarb compote with Greek yogurt, or pretty much on anything for that matter.
Rhubarb clafoutis!
400 grams rhubarb (about 2 cups)
@@75 grams sugar (1/3 cup) @
25 grams butter (1/3 cup)
2 eggs
2 Tbsp light crème fraîche
125 ml light heavy cream (5/8 cup)
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp flour
1 tsp almond extract
The standard measures are approximate but work, I hope!
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Wash and then cut the rhubarb into cubes. Mix about one tablespoon sugar with the rhubarb and place in the oven while it is heating up. Let it cook until you are ready for it. This will release some of the excess water.
Melt the butter over medium/high heat. The butter will start to foam and turn golden brown. Remove immediately and cool to room temperature.
Beat together the eggs, heavy cream, and crème fraîche. Mix in the sugar, cornstarch, flour, browned butter, and almond extract.
Butter the molds and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Remove the excess liquid from the rhubarb and place the fruit in the molds.
Pour the batter over the fruit until it is almost completely submerged.
Bake for 40 minutes or until nicely browned and puffy.
Makes 6-8 individual servings.
Comments
Hi, I totally understand your love for rhubarb! I adore it myself. I made a lovely rhubarb crumble recently. You can find my recipe on my blog, along with links to few other recipes by other bloggers. Lovely picture, btw.
yummmmmm!
thank you esther!
I am so excited to try your recipe!
Great recipe. I ike to use cornstarch too or fine cake flour. I totally second the idea of light heavy cream instead of milk, makes it less watery. Great shot!
Don't feel bad about not finding rhubarb easily, here in South Carolina, it's like people don't even know it!
We "friends of Cathy" are having a lunch tomorrow. I have a few healthy looking stalks of Rhubarb...... let you know how it turns out!
I love rhubarb.....how can you not? I know of this glass of rhubarb juice in a German café near my place that sends me back to childhood when grandpa used to peel the rhubarb and we would dunk the end in sugar and crunch away at it.....wow