"Clafoutis": Why?

[Susan G]

As a muttered aside: (I wonder if the French didn't pit their cherries prior to baking because they lacked the tools, or because the most flavorful cherries were too small to pit easily).

Edited July 5, 2005 by Susan G (log)

[Busboy]

Oooh, from JoyofBaking.com:

Clafoutis comes from the word 'clafir' which means 'to fill'.

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This is the Larousse definition too. As a matter of interest, will you be leaving the stones in your cherries? This is one of the big French cullinary debates.

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What is the basis of the pro position in the debate...tradition, or is there some value to the pits?

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I think both. Many hold that the kernals add a mild almond taste to the flavour of the batter. And the cherries used should be black. However tradition runs very deep too. In fact the purists from the Limousin (the area of France from where the clafoutis hails) maintain that if the cook is not from the Limousin, then the yield of his labour is not a clafoutis!

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Much discussion on this issue by wise people -- including a couple of chefs, some actual French-type people and Paula Wolfert -- in this thread.

[Woods]

So I'm running a cherry clafouti as a special at work and someone asked why it's called a clafouti. I'm stumped, anyone?

Thanks

Dan

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Etymology aside, have you ever made it using sour cherries? Wonderful! Woods