Clafoutis is a traditional French dessert from the Limousin region made by layering cherries in a baking pan and covering them with a batter mixture. It can be adapted to include other fruits or savory ingredients and is best served warm. Traditionalists argue that only the cherry version is true clafoutis, while others use the name for a variety of sweet and savory dishes.
Clafoutis, sometimes also spelled clafouti, are a cooked dessert originating in the Limousin region of south-central France. Its name, which comes from the word clafir, meaning “to fill,” provides an accurate hint regarding its preparation, which involves coating a dish with cherries and then “filling” it with a batter mixture. A traditional clafoutis is always made with cherries, though many cooks have adapted the dish to center around their favorite fruits or even savory ingredients.
Classified by some as “peasant food,” clafoutis is a simple dish that was created as a way of using a fruit that has historically been abundant in the Limousin region of France: cherries. While the exact date of clafoutis’ invention is not known, the dessert has been popular in Limousin and beyond since the 19th century. As its popularity spread across France, many cooks came up with altered versions of the dish that allowed them to showcase the produce of their own regions.
Making a classic clafoutis is a fairly simple process. First, the cherries are layered in a greased baking pan. Purists insist that cherries shouldn’t be pitted, arguing that the pits enhance the flavor of the finished dish. Whether or not a cook chooses to pit, the cherry layer is covered in a batter mixture containing flour, eggs, milk, sugar, and, in some cases, liqueur or butter. The pan is then placed in a preheated oven until the batter has risen and is a golden brown hue. Many agree that the dish is best served before it has completely cooled, with a simple dusting of powdered sugar for garnish.
Traditionalists argue that only the original cherry version of this dish can properly be called clafoutis, with all adapted versions expressed under the umbrella term flaugnarde. Cooks everywhere rebel against these traditionalists, however, attributing the name clafoutis to desserts containing such varied sweet bites as pears, blueberries, blackberries, clementines and chocolate. Some have even introduced this dessert to the savory realm, inventing dishes like bacon and cheese clafoutis.
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