A Savory Spring Clafoutis
Always looking for simple and delicious recipes to add to my recipe box (also known as my online blog archives), when I saw a savory clafoutis recipe in Patricia Wells’ latest cookbook My Master Recipes centered around the elusive Morel mushroom, I took note.
Clafoutis, especially a pear clafoutis is my favorite as I shared last year, but what about a savory clafoutis?
As a child one of my family’s favorite spring-time activities was to go out searching for this beautiful, flavorful wild mushroom. Some seasons were plentiful and some left us imagining we had seen the mushroom popping up along the forest’s floor time and time again only to be disillusioned. One of my favorite ways to enjoy Morels is to drench in egg batter, fry until crispy brown and then finish with just a drizzle of honey. Delicious Mother Nature candy. Or better yet, similar to the clafoutis recipe shared here, mix them in with scrambled eggs for breakfast. But why not serve them as the main dish for a dinner party, and in so doing, save yourself time in the kitchen all the while knowing the flavor will leave them wanting just one more bite?
The good news is, even if you do not have access to Morels, you can substitute just about any other mushrooms. The key however, is flavor. The criminis I used in this recipe were lacking to say the least, but the flavor combinations were magnificent and the finishing touch of thyme is perfection. Needless to say, I look forward to incorporating the desired mushroom when I have them available.
Mushroom and Parmesan Clafoutis
An impressive, yet beautifully simple dish that amplifies the delicious spring flavor of Morel mushrooms. Enjoy for dinner and then the left-overs as breakfast the next morning.
Servings4 servings
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Passive Time20 minutes
Ingredients
1cup
mushroomsMorels (dried) are preferred
3/4cup
heavy cream
2
large eggslightly beaten
2
large egg yolkslightly beaten
1/2 cup
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheesefreshly grated
2teaspoons
fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
If the mushrooms you are using are dried, the 20 minutes of passive time is needed to plump them up. Here's how: first, rinse the mushrooms well under cold water to clean; second, place mushrooms in a 2 cup liquid measuring cup. Add one cup of hot water and set aside for 20 minutes. Then carefully remove the mushrooms from the measuring cup.
If the mushrooms are large, slice into bite-size pieces.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (190 degrees Celsius).
Mix together in a large bowl the filling: cream, eggs, egg yolks, half of the cheese and half the thyme. Add the mushrooms to the filling mixture and toss to coat the mushrooms evenly.
On a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper, arrange your preferred gratin dishes. Dividing the batter evenly among the gratin dishes, top each with remaining cheese and thyme (see image).
Bake until the batter has set and is golden and bubbling, about 30-35 minutes. The Clafoutis will rise like a soufflé, so be prepared to serve immediately (the below photograph was taken about 15 minutes after coming out of the oven and the rise has disappeared). Pair with a crisp green salad tossed with homemade vinaigrette and sprinkled with left-over shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano..
