Jean-François Piège’s Secret Ingredient for an Unbeatable Cherry Clafoutis!

On the Millevaches plateau, making clafoutis is a serious affair. To craft this traditional dessert of their region according to local customs, the people of Limousin typically do not bother to pit the cherries. Their rationale? It prevents the fruit’s juice from blending into the batter. Another advantage is that the cake can be prepared—and eaten—more quickly! For Jean-François Piège, however, the taste of the clafoutis takes precedence over these traditions. In a video, the chef adds his personal twist to the traditional recipe.

The first deviation? Jean-François Piège starts by pitting the cherries. He quickly justifies this choice to soothe any offended Limousins. “I am among those who prefer clafoutis with pitted cherries, and there’s a reason,” the chef explains. “When you pit them, you slightly crush the cherries. During baking, they release a bit of juice which soaks into the batter. I think it tastes better,” he continues. Perhaps some enthusiasts have hidden their laziness behind dubious reasons? The question remains unanswered. Nevertheless, the chef doesn’t stop there and makes a second alteration. He uses hardly any flour in his batter, instead opting for a generous amount of almond powder—a combination of flavors that even the staunchest Limousin would relish!

This clafoutis serves 6 and includes cherries, heavy cream, eggs, sugar, almond powder, vanilla powder, and a bit of flour.

• 400 g of ripe cherries
• 70 cl of heavy cream
• 120 g of whole eggs (about 2 eggs)
• 120 g of egg yolks (about 6 yolks)
• 260 g of sugar
• 180 g of almond powder
• 20 g of flour
• 10 g of vanilla powder from the pods (or a packet of vanilla sugar)

1. Pit the cherries.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: almond powder, sugar, vanilla powder, and flour. Add the eggs and heavy cream. Whisk vigorously.

3. Butter and flour a baking dish. Pour the batter into the dish to a depth of about 1.5 cm.

4. Arrange the cherries over the batter, stem side up, starting from the outer edge of the dish and packing them tightly together.

5. Bake at 180°C (356°F) for about 45 minutes. The clafoutis is ready when it is nicely browned on top.

Striking a conciliatory (or perhaps cautious) tone, Chef Jean-François Piège wraps up his recipe with a unifying statement: “That’s why I like clafoutis without pits because I find it more interesting. But the choice is yours; it’s also very good with pits”.