MIXED BERRY AND ALMOND CLAFOUTIS

It's really difficult to re-learn something after it's been taught the wrong way. My neighborhood pastry shop makes absolutely wonderful crossaints, a quiche that's absolutely delicious, with a flaky buttery crust and thick eggy custard, and everything else makes you fog up the glass between you and a full stomach. I should mention that this patisserie is run by a Japanese family. In my experience, the Japanese make some of the most delicate and tasty breads and cakes available. Any time I need a loaf of white bread, it's off to Sawtelle where the best toaster bread is available. However, the clafoutis is the one area where Godzilla claws at a chain-smoking Existentialist Mothra. Their clafoutis is a beautifully refined custard held in a strong tart shell. Raspberries hide underneath the golden swath, with a sprinkling of jam in the center. This, I have learned, is absolutely nothing like a true clafoutis. Clafoutis is as rustic as you can get. If the Japanese version is Fred Astaire, the French version is Matisse. Meaning, it's all art but an entirely different idea. The French version, or I should say the real version, is sloppy and lazy and about as difficult to make as pancake batter. Basically, I love it. Summer is hardly a time for refinement and this delicious, messy, bursting, golden bowl of jiggling matter is as far away from that as possible. It's like Sophia Loren in a top one size too tight.

What I love is that it's all about the berries, and the whole almonds soften a bit but still maintain their crunch.  I prefer mine not too sweet, because really, the batter is simply a mechanism for holding the berries in suspended gravity.  Because of that, this would work well as a brunch dessert or a fabulous end to a BBQ with a plop of plain whipped cream scented with lemon zest on the side.  Also feel free to insert whatever fruit you prefer.  This works well with stone fruit, or even figs. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Butter and Flour to grease the pan

1 tablespoons flour

4 whole eggs

2 egg whites

1 1/2 cups whole milk

2 teaspoons Vanilla paste

2 tablespoons Chambord

2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup almonds, pulverized in a food processor

1/2 cup blanched whole almonds

1 1/2- 2 pints berries, or other fruit

Note: This makes a really big clafoutis, for a 10-12 inch pan.  I usually use my 9 inch and then make a mini one for myself, to enjoy before everyone eats the main one.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375

Butter and flour the pan.  Scatter the berries on the bottom of the pan, and then scatter the almonds on top.  In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, whites, and brown sugar, add the flour, chambord, crushed almonds, and vanilla extract.  Whisk in the milk.  Pour the batter over the berries and almonds, and bake for 40  minutes, or until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean.  Try to let is cool to just above room temperature (good luck with that!) and Enjoy!