This is the best clafouti I have ever tasted, for it is short on flour, long on custard, and the butter gives it an added depth of flavor. Remove the pits if you like. If you leave the pits in the cherries, be sure to warn your guests so they don't crack their teeth!

　　

Ingredients

Serves 6 to 8

　　1 scant pound of cherries, stemmed, pitted if desired

　　1 cup minus 2 tablespoons sifted unbleached all-purpose flour

　　Heaping one-half teaspoon sea salt

　　2 cups milk

　　3 large eggs

　　1/3 cup sugar

　　1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

　　1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces.

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Butter and lightly flour a 9 and a half-inch nonreactive round tart pan or baking dish.

　　

Step 2

Place the cherries in the tart pan.

　　

Step 3

Combine the flour and the salt in a large bowl and mix with your hands. Whisk in 1 cup of the milk until smooth. Then add the eggs one by one, whisking briefly after each addition. Whisk in the vanilla sugar, the remaining 1 cup milk, and the vanilla extract.

　　

Step 4

Pour the batter over the cherries. Dot the batter with the butter, place it on the center rack of the oven and bake until it is golden and puffed, about 25 minutes. Remove it from the oven and let it cool thoroughly before serving.