Stephen Crane's gorgeous clafoutis recipe is autumn comfort food at its best. Plums always taste particularly flavoursome when bought during their season, and this is an excellent way to celebrate them at their best. Enjoy this dessert with the remarkable crème fraîche sorbet, as shown here, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream
Method
1.
For the sorbet, put the sugar into a pan with 150ml water. Bring to the boil, then cool. Mix the cooled syrup together with the crème fraîche and churn in an ice cream maker
2.
To make the crème pâtissiѐre, whisk the sugar and the egg yolks until the mix whitens, then add the flour
3.
Bring the milk and vanilla (seeds and pods) to the boil. Take off the heat and stir in the eggs, sugar and flour. Bring it back up to boil on a medium heat and cook it 1 minute after it has come to the boil
4.
Sieve and cover with cling film so that it is in contact with the custard. Cool down 2 hours in the fridge, then whisk before use
5.
For the plum clafoutis, cream the butter and the icing sugar. Add the ground almonds and potato flour, then the egg and the crème pâtissiѐre and mix
6.
Line 6 ramekins with butter and greaseproof paper. Fill them up with mix (2/3 of the level) and add 8 pieces of Italian plum (push down in the mix by hands)
7.
Cook 170˚C/Gas mark 3 1/2 for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm
8.
Next make the compote. Put the plums and sugar in a pan for 15 minutes on a medium heat. Pass though a muslin to separate the juice from the compote
9.
Put the almonds on to a baking tray and toast in the oven at 150ºC/Gas mark 2 for 10 minutes
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