Fig & Blueberry Clafouti

I don't usually find fresh figs where I live. They're so sweet -- what a treat! I love this week's recipe, but first --

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I feel so Ina Garten today. This is the kind of simple recipe she would serve to guests at an outdoor dinner party, surrounded by fields, flowers, and candles. Rustic, yet elegant.



Sophisticated flavors, perfect for impressing foodie friends, or a future mother-in-law. Shh, we won't tell how easy this is!

The last clafouti I made was a huge disappointment. Usually made with cherries, a clafouti is baked with sort of a custard/pancake batter. So this time around, I searched for alternatives and based this recipe on one from The Best of Gourmet 1988. Specifically, I was inspired by the use of ground almonds as a substitute for most of the flour. The resulting dish almost melts in your mouth.

Fig & Blueberry Clafouti

9 fresh figs
1/2 cup blueberries

1/4 cup blanched almonds
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
dash of salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk (I used nonfat)
splash of orange liquor (1/2 teaspoon-ish)


1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 400.

2. Slice the figs lengthwise and arrange in a baking dish or pie pan. Scatter the blueberries in between the figs.

3. In a food processor, pulse the almonds until fine. Add the sugar, flour, salt, and whirl. Add the two eggs and the milk, and whirl into a batter. Pour over the fruit.

4. Cut the butter into tiny bits and scatter over top of the batter. Sprinkle with the two remaining tablespoons of sugar.

5. Bake for 35 minutes, or until golden in color and set. Cool briefly, but serve warm. You can serve it plain, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or with a dollop of whipped cream.

Enjoy!