We’re bombarded by digital input these days… social media of course, Substack, emails, Instagram reels. One can suffer from information fatigue. Seeking a glimmer of bright originality and authenticity is like searching for a black cat in a dark room.
But I found the feline in the form of a wonderful blog written by an enigmatic, and determinedly anonymous author, calling himself Pomiane.
He is, or has been, clearly a pro with a very varied background, catering from clients as diverse at the US embassy and Glenmorangie; he’s raised ducks in Greece; harvested hops; and consulted to chocolate producers. And he is currently dividing his time between Tuscany and London.
Pomiane’s blog seems to be written as a diary, for himself as much as anyone else and as a result it has a very genuine sound to it. Sometimes Pomiane uses his blog (as happens too on Saucy Dressings) to write up a recipe so tried and tested that the profusion of scribbled notes renders it almost illegible – if it’s going to live on it needs to be sorted out and made clearly presentable.
Every now and then Pomiane punctuates his recipes and culinary commentaries with a simple list – the menu for the evening meal: endives gratin, sausages in dry marsala and buttered spinach, then pear and chocolate clafouti on one night; or, another time, vitello tonnato, timballo di Gattopardo (golly!) and buttered spinach… again, then raspberry bavarese with mandarin glaze in chocolate cups on another. Pomiane and his companion must have the constitutions of oxen.
The blog is not just about food and recipes, also included are some entertaining accounts of various building misadventures – they’ve bought an old ruin in the Italian countryside – well, of course they have!
A cherry clafoutis is a popular pud, nothing new there, but then Pomiane finds himself browsing through Allan Bay’s Cuochi si Diventa 2. Light bulb moment – a clafoutis can also be savoury! “Daft”, he comments disarmingly, “not to have realised.”
As Pomiane explains,
“I suppose the concept is a cross between a pastryless quiche, a kind of frittata, and a sponge pudding. Anyway, they are light, quick, extremely versatile, and highly recommended.”
Hmmm…. I might also suggest this clafoutis is a sort of ‘sustaining soufflé’.
Basically it is simply eggs and cream being used as a vehicle for a whole variety of different fillings, and therefore it’s infinitely flexible. It can be used as a way of using up items in the fridge which look a bit elderly. Equally it be used as a way of inventing a dish incorporating the favourite foods of a much anticipated guest. Or it can be simply a way of using up seasonal ingredients. Anything you might put in a soufflé, an omelette, a quiche, or a frittata can be incorporated, chopped up small, into a clafoutis.
And this dish doesn’t just have the flavour, it’s also got the looks. As Pomiane goes on to say,
“these are dinner-party presentable, and if you can get them from oven to table before they deflate, then they give good theatre, too.”
I lack the nerves, and the disciplined guests, to attempt this at a dinner party, even if I happened to throw any of those any more. But this is great for a quick lunch, with a warm hunk of fresh bread and a salad.
Don’t try and make it in anything metal. Or in anything too big. I tried making it for two in a larger dish and it came out of the oven weeping an unappetising watery substance. Although I know that others have succeeded in making a bigger dish for four people, in my experience, it’s best made in individual, large, ceramic ramekins, and it also looks better that way.
This dish will also warm up ok… it will keep in the fridge (covered in clingfilm) for a couple of days. Then, simply pour over a bit more double cream and sprinkle over a bit of grated cheese. It won’t puff up quite as satisfyingly as on the original baking, but it will look like this, and taste just as good.
Endlessly adaptable savoury clafoutis
Serves – 2
Ingredients
For the clafoutis:
- 1 egg
- 80 ml/⅓ generous cup milk
- 60 ml/¼ generous cup decent cream – ideally double
- 20g/2½ tbsps. plain flour
- 20g/¼ cup grated parmesan or pecorino
- Salt (depending slightly on your filling)
- Pepper or Urfa pepper flakes
For the filling – you need about 70g altogether – suggestions might be:
- Ham/prosciutto and defrosted lumps of spinach
- Gorgonzola dolce with cooked lardons
- Artichoke heart and capers
- Herring and shallot
- Tomato with cheddar
- Mushroom, wild garlic, chicken livers
- Crab and asparagus
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220°C and butter the ramekins
- Into a small liquidiser (or maybe in a medium mixing bowl, one could mix with a fork) put all the ingredients for the clafoutis.
- Put your chosen filling in the bottom of the ramekins.
- Pour over the clafoutis batter.
- Put in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Serve IMMEDIATELY while still risen.
