Veronique's Savoury Clafoutis

(From Veronique Sauzeau, Chef at French Embassy,Wellington.)

This is a delicious savoury dish which is almost like a moist souffle packed with vegetables. The absence of cheese makes it very light. It can be served for brunch, lunch or dinner, accompanied by a simple green salad. Veronique says that for her mother, along with many French women, this was a dish that could be whipped up even when the cupboard was almost bare.

(Serves 6)

Ingredients

• 200g mixed vegetables, such as courgettes, capsicum, kumara
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 30g cornflour
• 30g flour
• 4 eggs
• 200 ml milk
• 200 ml cream
• salt, pepper and nutmeg

Method

Preheat oven to 210C. First prepare the vegetables. Top and tail courgettes, seed and core capsicum, peel kumara. Cut into medium thin slices. Melt butter in a large frying pan and add the kumara slices. Saute for a few minutes, then add the courgettes and capsicum. Saute for a few minutes until the vegetables soften a little. Put vegetables in a baking dish, such as a deep oblong pyrex dish.

To make the batter, put the cornflour and flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs and half the milk. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in the remaining milk and the cream. Season well with salt and pepper and a little nutmeg. Pour the batter over the vegetables. The baking dish can be filled three-quarters full. The clafoutis will puff up, but won't spill over the top. Put in the preheated oven. Bake for about 40 minutes until puffy and golden brown. Serve hot or warm. (Cold leftovers are also tasty.)