Clementine Clafoutis Recipes

CLEMENTINE CLAFOUTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease a gratin dish with a 1 or 2 teaspoons of butter (size suggestions: 9x5x2 gratin dish or 10" round deep pie plate or porcelain dish.
• Dust dish with flour, rotating pan so flour sticks to all the butter.
• Invert the dish to remove excess flour.
• Remove any thick white strands and the fine webbing that comes off easily from the clementines.
• In a large bowl, whisk eggs until frothy.
• Add granulated sugar and salt. Whisk until combined.
• Add cream and milk. Whisk until smooth.
• Add 1/2 cup flour and stir until just combined.
• Layer clementine sections in dish (they should come to almost the top of the dish).
• Pour batter over fruit until it's as close to the top of the dish as reasonably possible (there may be leftover batter).
• Bake for about 40 minutes or until nicely browned on top and a knife inserted into it comes out clean.
• Sift some powdered sugar over dessert and serve warm or at room temperature.
• Note: Must be served within a couple of hours of making it.
• Note: You could add 1 little vanilla, anise or 1 rose water if desired though it certainly isn't necessary.
• Makes at least 6 servings.

BASIC CLAFOUTIS

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and butter until the sugar is dissolved. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Pour the batter into a cast iron skillet or pie pan.
• 2. Now add your favorite fruit or flavoring (see below). Bake until the clafoutis is beautifully puffed and golden, 35-40 minutes. Serve immediately.
• Clafoutis Variations: Concord Grape Clafoutis: Once the batter is in the skillet, scatter 2 cups slightly crushed Concord or other black or red grapes on top. Cherry Clafoutis: Scatter 2 cups pitted cherries onto the batter once it's poured into pie plates. Pear Clafoutis with Pear Eau de Vie: Core 1 ripe pear and cut into pieces. Pour the batter into the skillet and top with the pear pieces. Bake. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons eau de vie and serve immediately. Milk Chocolate and Hazelnut Clafoutis: Melt 1 cup chopped milk chocolate in a large mixing bowl set above a simmering pot of water. Fold in the clafoutis batter until smooth and fully incorporated. Pour into a skillet or pie plate, sprinkle with 1/4 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts, and bake.

LA ZUCCA MAGICA'S ORANGE AND OLIVE SALAD

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine olives and thyme, if using, with a bit of olive oil. Pulse machine once or twice, then turn it on and add remaining olive oil rather quickly; you want this purée on the rough side. Thin with more olive oil if necessary. (You can refrigerate this for up to a month.)
• Layer 3 or 4 orange slices on each plate, drizzle with a little more olive oil, top with a tablespoon of olive purée and sprinkle with a few fennel seeds.

GAZPACHO

Steps:

• Peel 1 small watermelon (about 3 pounds), and cut the flesh into large chunks. Put them in a food processor along with 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped, 1 minced garlic clove, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pulse the mixture, adding a few ice cubes, one at a time, if necessary,to get the machine going. Chill in the fridge. Garnish: Fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil.

OSSO BUCO

Steps:

• Heat a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes. Add the oil, swirl it around, and pour out any excess. Add the veal slices and cook until nicely browned on the first side, about 5 minutes. (For even browning, you can rotate the slices, but try not to disturb them too much.) Turn and brown the other side.
• When the second side is just about completely browned, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and add the garlic and anchovies to the pan. Cook, stirring a little, until the anchovies dissolve and the garlic browns, about 2 minutes. Add the liquid and let it bubble away for about a minute.
• Turn the heat to low and cover the skillet. Five minutes later, check to see that the mixture is simmering - just a few bubbles appearing at once - and adjust the heat accordingly. Cook until the meat is very tender and pulling away from the bone, at least 90 minutes and probably somewhat more; turn the slices every half-hour or so. (When the meat is tender, you may turn off the heat and refrigerate the dish for up to 24 hours; reheat gently before proceeding.)
• Remove the meat to a warm platter and turn the heat to high. Boil the sauce until it becomes thick and glossy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter if you like, and serve the meat with the sauce spooned over it.

CLEMENTINE CLAFOUTIS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a gratin dish, about 9 by 5 by 2 inches, or a 10-inch round deep pie plate or porcelain dish, by smearing it with butter, just a teaspoon or so. Dust it with flour, rotating pan so flour sticks to all the butter; invert dish to get rid of excess.
• In a large bowl, whisk eggs until frothy. Add granulated sugar and salt and whisk until combined. Add cream and milk and whisk until smooth. Add 1/2 cup flour and stir just to combine.
• Layer clementine sections in dish; they should come just about to the top. Pour batter over fruit to as close to top of dish as you dare; you may have a little leftover batter, depending on size of your dish. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until clafoutis is nicely browned on top and a knife inserted into it comes out clean. Sift some powdered sugar over it and serve warm or at room temperature. Clafoutis does not keep; serve within a couple of hours of making it.