Plum Clafouti

A clafouti is a French country dessert of a very egg-y pancake batter poured over stone fruit and baked in the oven. It came into popularity in the States with Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in the 1960's, when my dad became obsessed with it. Now, when cherry season hits in early summer in California, our family is required to make a sweet Bing cherry clafouti, pits left in for bucolic authenticity. As kids, we were always warned not to bite down too hard, because the French knew how to eat around the pits, and so should we.

While sweet cherries are the traditional fruit of choice, tangy plums go beautifully with the sweet batter. And since plums appear later in the season, they allow us to enjoy clafaoutis all summer long. (PS: Peaches, nectarines, apricots, berries, apples, pears, and even pineapples are all delicious in this dessert, too.)

For a 10"-12" clafouti, you will need:

• 4 cups halved,  firm-fleshed, tart plums, pits removed. (I used a mix of small, deep purple Italian prunes and red and yellow plums. Avoid sugar plums or other soft, very sweet varieties, which will turn to sauce when cooked. I didn't bother to peel mine; plum skins are generally tender and edible, and the skins help to keep the flesh of the fruit intact when cooked, preventing the deep colors from bleeding into the batter.)
• 3 eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar, divided in half
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
• (If you like - I like - replace the extra 2 tablespoons of milk with a fruit or nut liqueur such as Grand Marnier, triple sec, amaretto, or Calvados.)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with the rack in the middle.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs into the salt and 1/3 cup of the sugar. Add the flour and mix well, then add the milk, vanilla, and liqueur and beat until smooth.

Butter a well-seasoned cast iron 10-12"skillet, or other oven-safe non-stick skillet - you can also use a stainless steel pan if you grease it very well - over medium heat on the stove. Pour in 1/4 inch of batter, and let it set for a minute or so until it reaches the consistency of a loose custard. Arrange your plum halves in a single, tight layer, cut side down, over the batter. Sprinkle on up to 1/3 cup sugar, depending on the sweetness of the fruit, and top with the remaining batter. Place in the oven and cook for about an hour, until puffed and brown and a knife comes out clean when poked through the center. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm or at room temperature. Your clafouti will sink as it cools and develop its thick, custardy potential.