“Pear-Blueberry Clafoutis Southern-Style”

I am quite smitten with my pears this summer. I have spent some time gazing at them and even more time posing them, turning them this way and that, looking at how they catch the light at different hours of the day. They are very willing models…silent, accommodating and seductively gorgeous.

This is not Food on Fifth’s first “pear rodeo” so to speak. In years past I have posted “A Series of Coincidences Involving Pears”, “Pear Infused Vodka” and “A Seasonal and Southern Red Bartlett Pear-Almond Cake”. Soon a pear jam will appear on these pages…not today, but soon.

A Clafoutis (lovely to say aloud softly and be sure to keep the “s”), and very French…a perfect pairing with my Southern twist…cornbread mix from “Southern City Flavors”, which you can buy at Whole Foods Markets or online, and blueberries….a very oooh la la morning moment.

This recipe is my adaptation of the classic French clafoutis which is pretty hard to trump. I was working on a photo shoot with Mike Weeks, proprietor of “Southern City Flavors” recently and he gave me a couple of bags of his cornmeal mix. Familiar with this product via Batch Nashville, I knew it would be a good fit with my Southern-style clafoutis.

Quick and so easy, a warm, just out of the oven clafoutis with local berries & pears, light and custardy, just a hint of cornmeal crunch….powdered sugar or not…is what Sunday’s are made for. Oui? Oui!

Sans a dusting of powdered sugar……..with a dusting of powdered sugar.

Pear-Blueberry Clafoutis, Southern-Style

• Servings: 4-6
• Time: 1hr
• Print

Ingredients:

• 6 small ripe, but firm pears, halved & cores removed
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 TBSP softened butter
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup raw sugar, divided
• 3 large eggs
• 1 generous TBSP vanilla extract
• a pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup white cornbread mix
• powdered sugar if desired

Directions for Cooking:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter an 8 to 10 inch baking dish. Sprinkle the buttered dish with 2 TBSP of the raw sugar. Arrange halved & cored pears cut side down in the bottom of the dish. Scatter the blueberries over the pears. Set aside.
3. In a blender or with a hand mixer, blend the milk, remaining sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, salt & cornbread mix together.
4. Pour batter over the pears & blueberries gently tapping the dish on the kitchen counter to get out any air bubbles.
5. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until puffy and golden brown on top.
6. Serve warm with a dusting of powdered sugar if desired.