Sunday, July 14, 2013

Poppin' Bottles


It just so happens that I made a decidedly French dessert before I realized that it was Bastille Day today. Oo la la! I'm so tuned in. Pop some bottles for the French!

Bastille Day aka French National Day aka La Fête Nationale commemorates the storming of the Bastille (prison/fortress), which took place on July 14, 1789 and marked the beginning of the French Revolution, the end of absolute monarchy and the birth of the sovereign Nation. It became an official public holiday in 1880.

Clafoutis is a baked French dessert from the Limousin region, traditionally made with black cherries, arranged in a buttered dish and covered with a thick flan-like batter. It is then dusted with powdered sugar and served lukewarm. If you can make pancake batter, you can make this. Trust. I used raspberries because it's what I had, but really any seasonal and semi-soft fruit would work. Happy Bastille Day and enjoy this list of French-ified moments in pop culture!



Raspberry Clafoutis
Adapted from Food &Wine

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
Salt
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 pints raspberries (3 cups)
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch gratin dish. In a bowl, whisk the flour, sugar and a pinch of salt. Whisk in the eggs, butter and lemon zest until smooth. Add the milk and whisk until light and very smooth, about 3 minutes. Pour the batter into the gratin dish and top with the raspberries.

2. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the clafoutis is set and golden. (It will puff up around the edges.)  Let cool slightly. Dust with confectioners' sugar, cut into wedges and serve. Serves 6.