The smell coming from the oven when a rhubarb clafoutis is baking is something between sweet vanilla and the slightly caramelized acidity of the fruit—a combination you wouldn’t expect to be so pleasant. Everyone knows the classic cherry version. This one plays in a different register: fresher, with a character all its own.
Ingredients :
- Rhubarb — It’s the fruit of the recipe, but also the one that sets the pace. Its role is not to be neutral: it adds acidity, it flavors, it balances the sweetness of the custard. Choose firm stalks, bright red or vivid pink—overly green stalks are more stringy and significantly more aggressive in acidity. Before baking, a quick maceration with sugar removes some of the fruit’s water and slightly softens its bite without completely erasing it.
- Eggs — They ensure the custard sets during baking. Three eggs for 500g of rhubarb is the right balance for a soft result without being rubbery. Room temperature eggs incorporate better and give a more homogeneous batter—taken out of the fridge an hour ahead is sufficient.
- Heavy cream — It provides creaminess and roundness on the palate. Without it, a milk-only base gives a lighter but also drier clafoutis. If you want to lighten the recipe, plain yogurt can replace it: the result is less rich but retains a fresh quality that pairs well with the rhubarb’s acidity.
- Flour — It gives structure to the batter—but the amount matters. 100g for this quantity of liquid is the threshold beyond which the clafoutis loses its softness and becomes a dense cake. Mix gently after adding to avoid lumps without overworking the batter, which would make it elastic.
