Clafoutis d'onigons

Clafoutis, similar to a flaugnarde, is a French dessert, in which pieces of fruit are covered with a rich, flan-like batter and baked. Traditionally it is made with cherries (pits included, for added flavor) and it is a sweet, custardy dish. But flirting with sweet and savory is a fun way of developing new dishes and expanding one's palate. And so the cherries and sugar were replaced with onions and Parmesan. 

The original  recipe that I referenced was twice the yield of this recipe, and used Gruyere, rather than the Parmesan cheese I used (note: It was all I had in the fridge and still came out, which is a testament to the flexibility of recipes and the power of substitutions). I see lots more clafoutis in my future and will have to do a little more experimentation to discover even more great flavor combinations, and perhaps a lower fat version (substituting part of the heavy cream for whole milk, or even skim). For those of you on a low glycemic index diet, this is a great side dish, and could be replicated with any number of vegetables.

Clafoutis d'oignons

Serves 4 as a main dish, or 8 as a side dish

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

3 chopped onions

2 egg yolks, plus 1 large egg

5 oz heavy cream

3.5 oz grated Parmesan cheese (or other firm cheese)

Method:

Place a pan over medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil and onions. Saute until transparent, about 10 minutes. Be sure to stir periodically in order to prevent burning.

In a bowl, add the egg yolks and egg, heavy cream and the Parmesan cheese. Mix well. Add the sautéed onions to the mixture. When all of the onions have been well incorporated, pour the mixture into an oiled baking dish or back into the saute pan (only if it is oven safe), and bake for 30-35 minutes at 350.

Serve warm or cold, with a side salad or soup.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 84 g (1/8 Clafoutis)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 168 Calories from Fat 122

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 13.6g 21%

Saturated Fat 7.1g 35%

Cholesterol 114mg 38%

Sodium 209mg 9%

Total Carbohydrates 5.0g 2%

Dietary Fiber 0.7g 3%

Sugars 1.9g

Protein 7.0g

Vitamin A 8% • Vitamin C 5% Calcium 17% • Iron 3%

Nutrition Grade B-