Composer Ned Rorem (Photo by Jack Mitchell/Getty Images)
American Composer Ned Rorem wrote is his Nantucket Diary on 28th June 1974 "here am I at loose ends....two big orchestral works are commissioned and paid for, yet I have spent the morning baking a cherry clafouti keeping my mind as far as possible from the needs of my job..."
Cherry Clafouti
Ingredients
For the cherries
450g ripe cherries, stones removed
3 tbsp caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
3 tbsp kirsch (optional)
For the batter
20gbutter, plus extra for greasing
2 eggs
3 tbsp caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 heaped tbsp plain flour
50g whole milk
75g whipping cream
pinch salt
Method
Gently mix together the cherries, sugar and kirsch and leave aside for two hours.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease a baking dish with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Shake the sugar around the dish so that it is evenly coated, then tip out any excess.
For the batter, heat the butter in a small pan until it turns a pale hazelnut colour. Do not allow the butter to burn or it will become bitter. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside in a warm place.
In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar and vanilla until creamy.
Add the flour, whisk until smooth, then slowly incorporate the milk, cream, salt and beurre noisette.
Mix the soaked cherries and their juice into the batter and pour into the prepared baking dish.
Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes check it is cooked by inserting the blade of a knife into the middle of the pie and when it comes out clean it's cooked.
To finish, sprinkle with caster sugar and serve warm.