Les cerises sont mûres*

 Last year Mimi, my friend from Bry-sur-Marne, France, and I visited our mutual friends in Montana. We were there during the cherry season. What fun we had picking and eating all the cherries we could ever want. Mimi made a Clafoutis for us all to enjoy. When she returned home, she sent me this kitchen towel with the recipe for Clafoutis aux Cerises. There is really nothing equivalent in American or British cooking that I have ever known. It is a lovely dish for tea or dessert. I have put the approximate amounts. They are not exact, but they work well. After all, how many dear French ladies had measuring scales or cups in the olden times? And still they produced delicious cherry perfection!!!

*The cherries are ripe

Mimi and Leland picking cherries

This year my dear friend here in Oregon shared these beauties with me from her trees. She called to say they were ripe and if we didn't pick them soon the birds would have them all. So I hopped it over on the double and picked a huge bowl full. I will freeze some and have shared some with my daughters, who love them as much as I do. So, here is the recipe for the classic French Clafoutis. (you can make it with other fruit, such as apricots, but you really can't beat cherries - in my estimation)

Clafoutis aux Cerises
Pour 4 personnes"
-4 oeufs
-125 g de sucre semoule
-125 g de lait entier
-125g de crème fleurette
-300gde cerises
-pour le coulis
150 g de cerises, 25 g de sucre et 50 g d'eau
Mélangez énergiquement les oeufs et le sucre avec un fouet;
Ajoutez le lait et la crème bouillants, tout en remuant.
Dans un plat de cuisson beurré, disposez les cerises équeutées 
et dénoyautées, puis versez dessus le mélange d'oeufs et de lait.
Faites cuire le clafoutis aux cerises 30 minutes à 180 degrés;
Pendant la cuisson préparex le coulis de cerises; faites 
bouillir les cerises dénoyautées avec l'eau et le sucre,
pendant 10 minutes.
Passez le tout au travers d'un tamis en pressan avec 1 cuillère
pour récupérer un maximum de jus.
Dégustez le clafoutis, encore um peu tiède, avec le coulis de cerises tiède.

Serves 4

-4 eggs
-125g caster sugar  (½ cup)
-125g whole milk (½ cup)
-125g whipping cream (½ cup)
300g Cherries (1 ⅓ cups)

for the sauce:
150g Cherries, 25g sugar, and 50g water
(⅔ cups Cherries, ⅓ cup sugar, and ½ cup water)
 

Mix vigorously eggs and sugar with a whisk;
Add the boiling milk and cream, stirring.
In a buttered baking dish, arrange the stemmed
and pitted cherries, then add the egg mixture and milk.
Cook the cherry clafoutis 30 minutes at 180℃ degrees c or 350℉;
While it bakes, prepare the sauce;
boil pitted cherries with water and sugar,
for 10 minutes.
Pass the whole through a sieve by pressing with a spoon
to pick up juice.

Enjoy the clafoutis, while still lukewarm, with warm cherry sauce.
(Not exact measurements, but close enough to work!)

 

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