I’m not sure if you’ve notice but I’ve been keeping up a little Posterous micro-blog called SmarterFitter Daily containing quick pics and notes about the foods I eat in my ongoing effort to feel awesome. Earlier this year, Posterous was acquired by Twitter, and over time Posterous has become more and more unreliable. So much so that I’ve decided to start doing these “Daily” posts (not necessarily posted daily!) here on my main blog. Welcome to a window on the world of my daily eats!
My first experience of clafoutis was a sweet peach clafoutis made by Kate Hill at the Natural Light Natural Food Workshop in Gascony earlier this summer (see My Food Story From Gascony). The recipe was inspired by fellow-student Mardi from Eat Live Travel Write who was on a blog-related peach mission in which clafoutis was the end result.
What is clafoutis? My Mac’s Dictionary.app says: “a tart made of fruit, typically cherries, baked in a sweet batter.” Or in this case, think peaches baked in a sweet eggy custard. It’s pretty yummy and appeals to my love of both eggs and fruit-based desserts.
This week, Mardi has upped the clafoutis ante and turned the tables on this conventionally sweet dish. Enter her savoury ratatouille clafoutis. Once I saw this I knew I had to make it. The custard batter includes polenta, which settles to the bottom of the ramekin in a crust-like effect that I really enjoyed. Here’s the comment I left for Mardi:
“I made your recipe this afternoon with some leftover grilled vegetables (red peppers, green beans, onion and sweetcorn, plus a little raw tomato and fresh basil tossed into the mix). Mr. Neil is correct in that the polenta does pool at the bottom, but I LOVED this effect! I felt like I was eating a polenta pie – and the polenta dust on the edges [of the ramekins] gets nice and brown and is yummy when scraped off the sides of the ramekin. Also, the polenta worked VERY nicely with the sweetcorn. If anything I felt this could have used more salt (my fault entirely). This was very easy and infinitely adaptable (I’m thinking rosemary needs to be involved next time). Will make again, and I look forward to enjoying my leftover clafoutis for breakfast tomorrow.”
Indeed I did enjoy my leftover clafoutis today, and it was badass. Arguably even better the next day?
Visit Mardi’s recipe: ratatouille clafoutis.
OOH!! I love clafoutis.. the battery one, not the custardy one, and it has made me think… ratatouille clafoutis, aka ratatouille toad in the hole…
I mean why not?? All that gorgeous thick slightly stodgy batter studded with mediterranean veggies… mmmmmm
I actually had to Google search “toad in the hole” – but I guess it’s not the sort of thing that would be on a vegetarian’s radar! Now I can see the likeness. This is what I love about ratatouille: it’s endlessly versatile.
oh you can use Quorn or other veggie sausages for a smashing toad in the hole Monica! or just onions and sliced tomatoes.
The world is your (*insert vegetarian option) *oyster!
Monica thanks so much for posting this – I love that you made it (like the next day!) and I love it even more that you love it so much! I knew it would be your kinda dish. I am a huge fan of it even if my better half wasn’t! I know we’ll both be making various versions of this for years to come! (and my friend who ate the original one with me in Seguret reminded me that there were secret pieces of sausage tucked in our “vegetarian” meal. LOL! Vive la France!)
I’m happy to have your better half’s portion. 🙂 Vive la France indeed. Just had a brain wave… smoked salmon (pescatarian’s “sausage”).
Savory clafouti is a really interesting idea! Hmmm…what else could go in one of these?
Basically anything? It’s kind of amazing. I might try mushrooms next!
Definitely going to have to make a savory clafoutis ASAP–looks amazing!
I would be very curious to hear what you put in YOUR clafoutis, Jes – vegetarian or otherwise. I see you as a toad-in-the-hole kinda gal. 😉