Chef Lionel Lévy uses black olives in this unusual clafoutis but still serves it as a dessert, along with a mâche salad drizzled with lemon-honey vinaigrette. We like that combination in place of an after-dinner cheese course, but we also think it makes an excellent (and surprising) first course.
·Olives can be chilled in syrup up to 3 days.
Recipe information
Total Time
30 hours
Yield
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
For olives
For clafoutis batter
Preparation
Prepare olives:
Step 1
Cook olives in a 2-quart saucepan of boiling water 5 minutes and drain in a colander.
Step 2
Bring sugar and 2 cups water to a boil in a 1-quart saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add olives and poach, covered, over very low heat (syrup should not bubble; use a flame tamer on burner if necessary) 6 hours. Cool, uncovered, then chill olives in syrup, covered, at least 1 day.
Make clafoutis:
Step 3
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Step 4
Finely grind almonds with 2 tablespoons sugar in a food processor, then whisk together with whole eggs and butter in a bowl until blended.
Step 5
Whisk yolks with remaining 6 tablespoons sugar in another bowl until blended, then add flour and salt, whisking until smooth. Whisk in milk, then whisk into almond mixture until combined well.
Step 6
Drain olives in a sieve, discarding syrup, and stir into batter. Pour into a buttered 6-cup shallow glass or ceramic baking dish, making sure olives are evenly distributed, and bake in middle of oven until firm in center and puffed around edges, about 20 minutes. Serve clafoutis warm.
