La Tartine Gourmande
September 8, 2006

All You Need to Make a Plum Clafoutis — L’essentiel du clafoutis aux quetsches

clafoutis plum quetsches

Cooked Sugar Plums

La nature fait bien les choses.

Nature does things well.

In early fall, we could always feel sorry that summer is gone behind, and that sunny times are going to be missed. Yet, I love this time of year. In fact, the abundance and renewal of all sorts of fresh food makes the season transition very pleasurable. Time to change food habits and revisit dishes we have not cooked for a while. Farmers’ markets are full of fruit such as apples, pears, and plums of all sorts, which remain favorites. I love l’automne for what it offers. In New England, you just need to take a walk in the forests to see why Nature does things so well. I do not think I have seen brighter colors than in New England forests in the fall. Beauty in its pure form. I always find that the most delightful feeling while driving along countryside roads is to be able to catch a glimpse of trees so much full of fruit that the weight imposed on each branch makes you feel each might break within the minute. Every single time I see quetschiers full of brightly purple colored quetsches, I know that this time, I am at home, across the Atlantic. It happens every fall if this is a good year.

Quetsches are a fruit typical of France’s North-Eastern region where I am from. This type of plums is particularly grown in Alsace and Lorraine. Is it the weather? The type of soil? I am not sure. A quetsche is a lovely delicate fall fruit, with an oblong shape and a beautiful dark purple color on the outside and a yellow sweet, juicy and acidy flesh in the inside. Easily found everywhere early September and in October, it is a fruit that every single member of my family seemed to preserve. Of course, you could just not do it differently as orchards in the region are full of questschiers (questche trees). Some years, we had so many quetsches that even with the best possible intentions, it was simply impossible to preserve all of them. Instead, my dad used to make alcohol with it: eau de vie. We would keep a large container in our garage in which the fruit was left to macerate until it is ready to be distillated. Not everyone is allowed to make this type of strong alcohol but my dad was because he received the right to do so as it had been passed to him by my grand-mother when she died. Almost 100% alcohol, this eau de vie is commonly drunk as un digestif, of the type you have in small shots after a meal, to help with digestion. You can only imagine the smell in the garage! Enough to make you feel tipsy.

Living in the US, I have always missed this fall fruit. For a while, I researched and tried to find quetsches here, but to no avail. Until one day, when I discovered sugar plums at a local vegetable and fruit supplier. Not quite the same as a quetsche, sugar plums are however the closest fruit I have found. They are slightly bigger, with a more reddish color than a quetsche . In taste however, they are comparable. Enough to make me happy and decide to use them for a favorite dessert of mine.

Le clafoutis - Clafoutis

Clafoutis is a classic French dessert. I have already talked about it, do you remember? The truth is that I could not let days go by and not present my classic recipe to you. This dessert is so easy to make that it would be a real shame to never think about making it.

In fact, I can add the following: Clafoutis is a real culture in my family, all the more emphasized by the arrival of P., my lovely Irish and American hubbie. When P. discovered clafoutis, I was far from imagining the impact that this innocent, yet so traditional, French dessert would have on him. Really! It was as if I had given him fresh new blood. Whenever I tell him that I am making clafoutis, I know I am going to make his day.

Moi : Tiens, j’ai fait un clafoutis.
P. : Cool!

Me: Listen, I made a clafoutis.
P. : Cool!

We all know the more traditional version of clafoutis made with cherries. Some cooks prefer to keep the cherry stones in the clafoutis, to add flavor to the dessert, although this makes the task of eating the clafoutis much harder. Unless you just like to spit them out, which is a lot of fun all things considered, as it brings the raw side of us out! Le côté sauvage ! But, as much as I love cherries as a fruit, my favorite type of clafoutis is not going to use them since I prefer to eat cherries crues (raw) et pas cuites (and not cooked). So instead of the traditional clafoutis version, I make my own, with quetsches. I just couldn’t think of a better way to use this fruit juiciness, light sweetness and acidity.

In a clafoutis, you typically use eggs, milk (and cream if using), sugar and flour (or cornstarch). But what makes this clafoutis recipe different from other recipes I tried is the fact that the fruit is cooked separately prior to being baked with the egg/milk batter. And to me, this makes all the difference in the outcome of the dessert. So when I fall short of ideas for a quick, easy dessert, clafoutis is high on the list. It could become your easy dessert fix too once you try it. So when will you try?

Note: After researching on this particular fruit, I found out that the equivalent to a quetsche in English was a damson.

PS: I have been travelling for the last week and will be soon back, looking forward to visiting your blogs again!

Plum Clafoutis

You need:

  • 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
  • 7 oz milk
  • 2 oz cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • About 1 lb + 2 oz plums
  • 3.5 oz heavy cream
  • 2 Tbsp butter + 2 Tbsp sugar to cook the plums

Steps:

  • Preheat your oven at 410 F.
  • Wash your plums and slice them open. Remove the stones.
  • Heat 2 Tbsp butter in a pan. Add the plums and 2 Tbsp sugar and cook for 5 mns. Set aside.
  • Butter small molds (or a large one) and sprinkle them with sugar.
  • In a bowl, mix together the cold milk with the cornstarch.
  • In another bowl, beat the eggs with the egg yolk. Add the sugar and mix well. Add the cream and mix.
  • Mix the milk/cornstarch preparation with the egg one.
  • Place the cooked plums in your molds, face up.
  • Pour the preparation over and cook in the oven for about 30 min, until golden.
  • Remove from the oven. Sprinkle with sugar and eat lukewarm preferably.

Le coin français
Clafoutis aux quetsches

Ingrédients :

  • 2 oeufs + 1 jaune d’oeuf
  • 200 ml lait
  • 50 g maïzena
  • 100 g sucre
  • 500 à 600 g de quetsches
  • 100 ml crème liquide
  • 2 càs de beurre + 2 càs de sucre pour cuire les quetsches

Étapes :

  • Préchauffez votre four à 210 C.
  • Lavez vos quetsches and coupez-les en deux. Retirez les noyaux.
  • Faites fondre 2 cás de beurre dans une poêle. Ajoutez les quetsches avec 2 càs de sucre, et cuisez-les pendant 5 mns sur feu moyen à doux. Réservez-les de côté.
  • Beurrez de petits moules (ou un grand) et saupoudrez-les de sucre.
  • Dans un bol, mélangez le lait froid avec la maïzena.
  • Dans un autre bol, mixez les oeufs et le jaune d’oeuf. Ajoutez le sucre et mélangez bien. Ajoutez la crème et mélangez à nouveau.
  • Mélangez les deux préparations.
  • Placez les fruits dans les moules, partie bombée vers le bas.
  • Versez la crème et cuisez au four pendant environ 30 mns, jusqu’à ce que le clafoutis soit doré.
  • Retirez du four et saupoudrez de sucre. Dégustez tiède, de préférence.
Tagged as: Dessert , French Inspired , Fruit , Gluten Free
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40 Comments »

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  1. je suis la première ;) oui les quetsches c’est trop la classe, je ne suis pas de l’est mais j’ai un arbre chez moi qui donne ces beaux fruits. Je n’ai jamais fait le clafoutis, mais du coup je vais essayer ;)

    Comment by Lilo — On September, 8th, 2006 at 2:33 pm

  2. Belle poêle! Je suis d’accord avec toi le clafoutis est encore meilleur quand les fruits sont poêlés avant (on peut aussi ajouter un peu de miel…)

    Comment by kitchenette — On September, 8th, 2006 at 4:03 pm

  3. Oh, Béa, I have been missing you. Do hope you are having a beautiful time. I’ve always wanted to see the New England fall colors.
    Your clafoutis look glorious, yes I think I enjoy the cherries better by themselves.

    Comment by Tanna — On September, 8th, 2006 at 4:40 pm

  4. I have not made it to the east coast to see the leaves turn…I can imagine you enjoying them though! Your clafouti looks like a perfect fall treat:)

    Comment by Anita — On September, 8th, 2006 at 5:04 pm

  5. Oh, beautiful! I have to say that I am also looking forward to the fall and all the wonderful food it brings! These plums are divine!

    Comment by L — On September, 8th, 2006 at 6:21 pm

  6. Le clafouti c’est le dessert prefere de mon grandpere et maintenant de mon mari!
    C’est tellement simple et tellement bon!
    Moi aussi les quetches ca me manque!

    Comment by Helen — On September, 8th, 2006 at 7:56 pm

  7. This is so simple and beautiful at the same time. Wonderful…I’m looking forward to more of your creations. =)

    Comment by Jacelyn — On September, 8th, 2006 at 10:54 pm

  8. Oh, that’s wonderful. Damson plums are quite nice. I’ve always wanted to make clafoutis and yours is the nicest looking one I’ve ever seen. Seriously!

    Comment by sher — On September, 9th, 2006 at 1:26 am

  9. je te fais un petit coucou depuis Paris (cette fois ci!) et je te souhaite un bon week-end!
    ciaoooooooooooooo

    Comment by peggy — On September, 9th, 2006 at 1:45 am

  10. hi bea, your plum clafoutis looks really lovely :)

    Comment by Evan — On September, 9th, 2006 at 5:41 am

  11. I´ve already made strawberry clafoutis after your recipe earlier this summer, but with quetsches (or Zwetschgen, as they are called here in Germany) I´d rather make a cake, just the quetsches on a sweet short pastry, sprinkled after baking with sugar and cinnamon.
    The idea of having so many quetsches to not know anymore what to do with them is quite lovely.

    Comment by Neele — On September, 9th, 2006 at 5:43 am

  12. Gorgeous!

    Comment by Lucy Vanel — On September, 9th, 2006 at 10:50 am

  13. But you forgot one ingredient and direction for the plum clafoutis … I need you to come and make it for me!

    Comment by Ivonne — On September, 9th, 2006 at 5:21 pm

  14. Oh Bea…those photographs are so beautiful they make me want to cry. What a marvellous way to enjoy these fruits!

    Comment by Ellie — On September, 9th, 2006 at 9:26 pm

  15. Je suis comme toi B.a, j’aime beaucoup cette saison des récoltes. Et le clafoutis est superbe.

    Tarzile

    Comment by tarzile — On September, 9th, 2006 at 9:28 pm

  16. C’est marrant, j’en ai justement un dans le four!!

    Comment by Mitsuko — On September, 10th, 2006 at 8:58 am

  17. miam, miam, I love all kinds of clafoutis. I like how you used this skillet to make it in, I use one to make tarte tartin in, but will try it for my next clafoutis.
    Happy Travels,
    Riana

    Comment by Riana — On September, 10th, 2006 at 9:41 am

  18. Ton clafoutis et les paysages de la Nouvelle Angleterre font rêver…

    Comment by Manouche — On September, 10th, 2006 at 2:44 pm

  19. Gorgeous and mouthwatering, as usual. Here’s a question about cherry clafoutis, Bea — do the pits really add flavor? I’ve had both ways and can’t tell the difference, but I am NOT a cherry expert. Kind of fun and funky to find the pits and I am happy not to have to remove them myself in the cooking, but I just wondered….

    Comment by Christine — On September, 10th, 2006 at 8:13 pm

  20. Beautiful Bea. I love the way the clafoutis looks once it is cooked and puffed up!

    Comment by jenjen — On September, 10th, 2006 at 8:46 pm

  21. So beautiful….looks great!

    Comment by Jeff — On September, 10th, 2006 at 9:56 pm

  22. Joli! Mais je crois que je prefere encore l’eau de vie, ton evocation y fait beaucoup d’ailleurs.

    Comment by Gracianne — On September, 11th, 2006 at 5:29 am

  23. Un très joli post. C’est qui est formidable avec toi c’est qu’on se croirait à tes côté tellement tes récits sont prenant et vrais…J’aimerais aussi être virtuellement à tes côtés pour la dégustation ;-)

    Amitiés
    Claude

    Comment by Claude-Olivier — On September, 11th, 2006 at 6:34 am

  24. Sounds (and looks) delightful! Beautiful photos, as always!

    Comment by gilly — On September, 11th, 2006 at 9:06 am

  25. Coucou Lilo, mmm tu as bien de la chance d’avoir un quetschier. Profites-en bien !

    Kitchenette, ah oui ca fait la différence, pas vrai ?

    Tanna, thanks a lot. I just got back last night! Will respond to your email soon, promise!

    Anita, thank you!

    L, ah yes, and you have so many goodies for fall in WA state, I know this with my own eyes now ;-)

    Helen, ah oui, c’est tellement bon !

    Jacelyn, thanks so much.

    Sher, Yes my mother-in-law from Ireland told me they were called this way, so I searched and was delighted to find out they just looked exactly like quetsches.

    Peggy, coucou, profites-en bien !

    Evan, thanks.

    Neele, yes your ideas sound good as well. I love quetsche tart too. There is an Alsatian tart particularly that I like, with pâte levée.

    Lucy, thank you.

    Ivonne, but but but, do you have an oven yet? ;_)

    Ellie, thanks so much. You are sweet.

    Tarzile, ah oui, j’imagine que les couleurs de l’automne au Québéc doivent aussi être magiques.

    Mitsuko, j’espère qu’il était bon.

    Riana, yes the skillet is pretty fun to use for that.

    Manouche, il faut y venir ;-)

    Christine, well I think they do, it surely depends on the cherries too. But either way, it is good! ;-)

    Jenjen, thanks! It never lasts long in our house

    Jeff, thanks.

    Gracianne, ahaha coquine !

    Claude-Olivier, ahah, merci, ca me fait très plaisir.

    Gilly, thanks a lot!

    Comment by Béa — On September, 11th, 2006 at 9:32 am

  26. mmmmmmm…lovely. Will make it if and when blistering summer heat ends.

    Comment by lobstersquad — On September, 11th, 2006 at 12:47 pm

  27. Snap! I have been on the lookout for damsons for the past week in London. Haven’t seen them yet, but it won’t be long now. Will definitely try the clafoutis when they appear.

    Comment by Chefette — On September, 11th, 2006 at 1:11 pm

  28. Bea,

    I’d never made a clafoutis in a cast iron skillet, with cornstarch instead of sugar and cooked fruit instead of fresh so I just had to give it a try. I used a few damson plums and three mission figs. I have to say that this was the silkiest, most delicate clafoutis I’ve ever tasted.

    Best regards and thank you so much for sharing your recipe. :)

    Comment by MS — On September, 12th, 2006 at 11:49 am

  29. [...] First it was pears, now it’s plums… although they aren’t my plums, they are my neighbors. I got a big beautiful bag of Italian prune plums next week, about 5 lbs worth and I’ve been looking through various recipes to figure out what to make of them. I am very tempted to try Bea’s plum calfoutis… in the meantime, I decided upon a reprise of an earlier dish I made… a plum bread. Last time, I made the bread as a fruit-topped focaccia from a recipe out of The Last Course. This time, I was inspired by a variation of Donna Hay’s simple olive oil based loaf in New Fast Food. [...]

    Pingback by cookbook 411: Recipes, Restaurant Reviews, Food Photography and more — On September, 12th, 2006 at 6:48 pm

  30. [...] I decide to start with a walk through my brother’s amazing garden, full of apple and plum trees. With the fall, the quetsches season is almost over. The recent heavy rain has not helped either. The smell of rotten fruit on the ground attracts a myriad of bees who seem delighted to feast so freely. B’s garden is huge and beautiful. It seems that places to sit to relax and soak the air in can be found every five meters. I admire my brother’s carpentry skills while looking at the pieces of furniture he enjoys making: benches made of tree branches or chairs and tables. I keep telling him that he should really sell them. He has so many great ideas and talent. [...]

    Pingback by La tartine gourmande » Blog Archive » A Sense of History And A Du Barry Chocolate Cake — Un brin d’histoire et un gateau au chocolat Du Barry — On October, 11th, 2006 at 1:50 am

  31. [...] - 12 - All You Need to Make a Plum Clafoutis [...]

    Pingback by La Tartine Gourmande » Blog Archive » Favorites 2006 — Favoris 2006 — On January, 12th, 2007 at 11:03 pm

  32. Hi. Just wondering if someone can help. I have recently made (with the local distiller) 22 litres of 48% proof plum eau de vie. It is drinkable, well sipable and I have been told it will improve with age. What I would like to do with some of it is make some different flavours ie as you would with Sloe Gin etc. Are there any good recipes or ingredients I could mix with the spirit. I hope to have another good harvest of plums this year and intend pickling them. Many thanks.

    Comment by Martyn — On February, 27th, 2007 at 8:46 am

  33. [...] speaking of each woman’s method to bake. Jeanne’s tarte à la rhubarbe and tarte aux quetsches were some of my favorites. Her touch with them was special. I was particularly fascinated by her [...]

    Pingback by Rhubarb Tart, a Must — De la tarte à la rhubarbe, c’est obligé by La Tartine Gourmande — On May, 10th, 2007 at 2:24 pm

  34. [...] or at least tasted one cherry clafoutis before. And if not yet, why don’t you start now! P. is already addicted and greedy for them, even if he kindly offers me a handful of cherries. I suspect that it is for me [...]

    Pingback by A Classic Cherry Clafoutis — Un classique, le clafoutis aux cerises by La Tartine Gourmande — On May, 25th, 2007 at 5:49 am

  35. J’ai trouve ton blog par hasard ce dimanche alors que je cherchais des details pour un clafouti au prunes…

    Ravie de rencontrer une compatriote a Boston :)

    Comment by Lau — On August, 26th, 2007 at 7:24 pm

  36. My wife discovered clafouti while living in France. We now make both plum and cherry clafouti with local fruit when it is in season. Baking it in the cast iron we inherited from her grandmother only adds to this old-world delight. When I make it for friends they have no idea just how easy it is to make - thanks for sharing!

    Comment by David — On October, 6th, 2007 at 9:45 pm

  37. This is quite an old entry but I feel I must comment.

    I made this just now and it was FANTASTIC! I absolutely love this dessert now and the story you wrote to go with it was just amazing. Thank you so much for sharing and I will DEFINITELY make it in the future! (Along with all of your other delicious recipes.)

    Comment by Tim — On July, 22nd, 2008 at 12:04 am

  38. Merci pour cette recette! J’ai fait ce clafoutis aussi dans une poele en fonte et c’etait delicieux.Moi aussi je suis de l’Est de la France… Verdun!.

    Comment by Claudine — On July, 30th, 2008 at 10:20 am

  39. Testée et approuvée ! Je n’ai pas fait revenir les quetsches mais j’ai saupoudré le tout de sucre aux 3/4 de la cuisson puis passé sous le grill à la fin. Je ne te dis que ça. La maizena est une excellente idée, je trouve ça beaucoup plus fin qu’avec de la farine. Une seule suggestion : diminuer les quantités de sucre de moitié car c’est assez riche comme ça (et encore, j’ai utilisé du half-and-half, je ne suis pas aussi gorumande que toi, je pense !). Mille mercis pour la recette.

    Comment by Estelle — On September, 4th, 2008 at 3:35 pm

  40. C’est avec un immense plaisir que j’ai trouve des quetsches (damson)ici dans le Nouveau Mexique…des quetsches authentiques….a me pas croire! et bien sur je fais clafoutis et tartes cela me rappelle l’Alsace ou mon mari et moi allions souvent lorsque nous vivions en Allemagne…une bonne choucroute ou un baeckaoff et une tarte flambee avec des quetsches …merci pour la recette….Maddie

    Comment by maddie (marie-madeleine) — On September, 12th, 2008 at 5:48 pm

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