Local Blueberry Clafoutis

cla·fou·ti or cla·fou·tis  (klä-f-t)

n.

A baked dessert composed of a layer of fresh fruit topped with a thick batter.

The Clafoutis and I had met in years past, when my understanding of the French language was minimal (and still is), and my understanding of baking was non-existent (and minimal now).  It is similar to a cobbler in the United States, where a batter is encompassed by fruit and then baked.  Traditionally in France it is made with cherries.  To enhance the cherry flavor the pits are left in while baking, making it a cautionary dessert while eating.  According to Harold McGee in the book On Food & Cooking, "cherry flavor mainly comes from almondy benzaldehyde, a flowery terpene (linalool), and essence of clove (eugenol). Heating increases both the almond and flowery notes, especially if the pits are left  in the fruit."

Here is a recipe that should help in your understanding of the "French Cobbler."

.33C......Sugar

.25t.......Salt

.5C........Flour

1.25C....Milk

2...........Eggs

Vanilla Bean

Fresh Blueberries

Split the vanilla bean in half, and scrape out the inside with a knife or spoon.  Place the vanilla seeds in a blender with the other ingredients, except for the berries.  Blend until smooth, around a minute or so.  Butter and sugar the inside of the ramekins.  Pour a small amount of the batter in to the cups and place a few blueberries in the bottom.  Bake in a 350F oven until the berries begin to exude their deep blue-purple goodness, remove from the oven.  Pour the remaining batter into the ramekins, and dot with berries.  Place back in oven and cook until a knife pulls clean from the center of the clafoutis.  

*Note.  The reason for the berries in two stages is to create two flavor and texture profiles from the same product.  A blueberry will taste differently at various stages of the cooking process, and will also be texturally different with the addition of more or less heat.  Adding different notes of the same chord allow the berry to be heard as a symphony and not a one note wonder.