Sour Cherry Clafoutis

It’s a gift and a curse to be friends with established culinary minds. My friends will share their opinions openly about dishes, restaurants and ingredients as if it were world politics. Never in my life have I heard so many mixed feelings about clafoutis. One friend will be effusive about how much they love clafoutis, while another will condemn the dessert for not having star quality. I needed to make it my own to understand the indifference.

I understand both sides of the coin. I believe clafoutis is one of those dishes best served warm, with no hidden agenda. Cherries are the prime suspect for the dessert, hailing back to it’s birthplace, Limousine. When I worked at King a signifier of spring was the sharable rhubarb clafoutis on the menu. Rich and tart all in the same breath with a scoop of fior di latte on top. In the age of viral desserts clafoutis almost doesn’t stand a chance, although it should.

I admittedly went in a little blind on the assignment and started in a place of “what feels right.” Tart sour cherries in peak season, used with abundance, suspended in a tangy buttermilk batter flecked with vanilla. I see clafoutis as a warm fruit dessert with the promise of grandeur as the final course in a meal. If it seems rather simple to make, yes, thats the point. It’s a dessert that doesn’t beg for your attention, nor does it cosplay as anything other than what it truly is. Not all recipes or dishes require hype, clafoutis will always be there for when you need it.

Sour Cherry Clafoutis

Serves 4

ingredients:

2 T butter, unsalted and softened

75 g, plus 2 T granulated sugar

500 g sour cherries, fresh and pitted