Delicious combinations

Plum Clafoutis

Wine suggestion: LBV Port

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
450g plums, halved and stoned
25g plain flour
Pinch of salt
50-75g caster sugar (more if the plums
are slightly tart)
3 eggs
450ml whole milk
2 egg yolks
2 drops almond essence
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
Icing sugar

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180°C.

Butter a shallow ovenproof dish with the unsalted butter. Place the plum halves fairly tightly together over the bottom of the dish, cut side down.

Sift together the flour, salt and sugar, slowly mixing in the whole eggs by hand. Add the milk, but do not mix excessively as this type of batter can get tough when over-handled. Beat in the egg yolks, almond and vanilla essences and pour evenly over the plums.

Bake in the oven for 40 minutes, until the batter has risen and is golden brown.

Remove from the oven and dust liberally with icing sugar. Serve.