1. A Cherry Clafoutis for National Cherry Day

    This year Cherry Aid is encouraging you to support ‘the Great British Cherry’. On July 16th it is National Cherry Day, a day to celebrate these sweet, juicy fruits. Selina aka Yummy Choo Eats, a new blogger for Great British Chefs discusses how we can help the decline in home grown cherries & shares a delicious recipe for Cherry Clafoutis.

    Blog post & photography by Yummy Choo Eats  

    Cherry Aid campaigns to unite all cherry Lovers – chefs, cherry growers, producers of cherry-based food and drink, you and me to save the British cherry. But over the last fifty years or so there has been a significant decline in cherry orchards, which means we now import almost most of our cherries.

    So the main goal of National Cherry Day is to maintain our traditional orchards here in the UK. If everyone eats our home-grown cherries, they will be around for a while longer and ultimately we want to support our local produce and those workers who livelihood depends on it.

    The beauty of these fruits is they can be eaten in many ways, cherry chocolate brownies, a traditional black forest gateau, cheesecake, with savoury dishes like duck, or drank in the form of cherry flavoured beer!

    So on the 16th July whatever you make, cook up or eat some fresh cherries from local suppliers to show your support. Here I have made a French dish known as a cherry clafoutis, using home-grown cherries suspended in a pancake or custard like batter, served warm with a dusting of icing sugar. It is truly delicious and comforting especially with the UK weather we are experiencing at the moment!

    Cherry Clafoutis

    Serves 2 people, in ramekin dishes

    For the cherries:

    125 g cherries, stoned

    2 tbsp Caster Sugar

    1 tbsp Marsala Wine (optional or kirsch)

    For the batter:

    1 egg

    10g unsalted butter

    1.5 tbsp caster sugar

    1/2 tsp vanilla extract

    25g whole milk

    35g whipping cream

    1 tbsp plain flour

    In a bowl, add the cherries, marsala wine and sugar, leave to sit for an hour or so this will help the cherries release their juices and intensify the flavour.

    Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease two ramekin dishes with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Shake the sugar around the dish so that it is evenly coated, tip out the excess.

    In a saucepan melt the butter, till golden in colour, do not let it burn, then set aside.

    In a bowl whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla together then add the flour, slowly add the milk, cream and melted butter, whisking as you go.

    Add the cherries into the batter with some of their juices.

    Pour the mixture into both ramekin dishes and bake in the oven on a middle shelf for 30- 35 minutes or till a skewer is inserted and comes out clean. Dust with icing sugar & serve warm!

     

    Blog post & photography by Yummy Choo Eats

    We have a delicious collection of cherry recipes at Great British Chefs for National Cherry Day, including Pascal Aussignac’s recipe for Griotte Cherry Clafoutis.  Let us know what you like to make with cherries.

Notes

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