PEAR & GINGER CLAFOUTIS

Recipe & photography by Emma Boyd

This classic French dessert is simple yet elegant and is easily adapted to suit the seasons. This wintry variation makes the most of pears which, spiked with ginger, marry beautifully with the silky, custard-like base of the clafoutis. Serve with a generous sprinkle of icing sugar and lashings of cream or vanilla ice-cream.

Ingredients

30g + 1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
2 eggs
4 tablespoons sugar
1 1⁄4 cups milk
75g/1/2 cup flour
1⁄2 teaspoon ginger
2 large pears
Icing sugar and cream or ice-cream to serve

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Put 30g of butter into a small pan and melt. Once melted stir in the vanilla bean paste and set aside. Put the eggs, 2 tablespoons sugar and a pinch of sea salt into a bowl and whisk to combine. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking as you go. Continue
to whisk as you add the flour gradually, making sure
to avoid any lumps. Lastly whisk in the butter before setting aside the batter while you prepare the pears. In a heavy-bottomed oven-proof frying pan over a medium- high heat melt the remaining tablespoon of butter. Next add the slices of pear and sprinkle over the remaining
2 tablespoons of sugar. Fry for a minute or two before turning over and frying again on the other side. At this point I arrange the pear slices in a ring, with two slices in the middle. This is optional, although it does make it look pretty when served. Carefully pour the batter over the pears before putting in the oven and baking for 20 minutes or until set. Once set remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly before sifting icing sugar over

the top and serving with cream or vanilla ice-cream.