So, this has warmly nested itself in my weekly breakfast rotation. I’ve been making it for years, but I hadn’t realized that until we’d hosted a few of our guests and was told, adamantly, that I’d never made it for them before.

The original recipe is from the Tasjahara Bread book, which is worth leafing through just for the cheerful musings on the nature of yeasts by the Buddhist monk who is its author.

I’m not sure how a sam is terribly different from a clafoutis, but what’s in a name really?

It has all the toasty comfort of French toast or pancakes, but takes only 30 minutes to make (20 of which are baking time). It’s also a great foil for whole grains, as the eggs provide all the lift you need. It’s extremely adaptable.

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1/2 cup flour, any kind (here it’s whole grain spelt, but I’ve used a bunch of gluten-free substitutes without problems)

1/2 cup milk (again, any kind. The eggs are doing the heavy work).

1 heaping cup of fruit of your choice, fresh or frozen

1tbsp of butter

1 8-9 inch cast iron pan.

1tsp of vanilla (optional)

1/2 tsp cinnamon (also optional)

* This recipe halves and doubles easily, but your pan must change accordingly.



Start by preheating the oven to 400.

You’ll do all your mixing and chopping in the time it takes the oven to come to temperature.

Pop your cast iron in the oven with the butter to warm.

Combine the ingredients (always wet into dry!) and mix until combined. A few lumps are fine.

I’m using apples here, chopped into cubish pieces.

Every fruit I’ve tried so far has worked well. If your fruit is frozen, thaw it and discard (or drink) any resulting liquid. It won’t hurt anything, but too much will make the bottom soggy.

Pop the pan back out of the oven when it’s part-way through the preheat (I don’t know, 300-ish? specificity is overrated) and add your fruit. Stir lightly to coat with butter. If you’re using the cinnamon add it here. Pop the pan back in the oven and let it come all the way up to temperature.

* if you’re using really soft or ripe fruits, like, say, peaches you might want to skip this step and add them right before you pour in the batter. The apples benefit from some time toasting in the butter and cinnamon, but not all fruits will.

You’re wearing gloves for this right? Cast-iron pans are real hand-scalders.

Give your batter a quick stir to catch anything that may have settled on the bottom and pour it over the fruit in the hot pan.

No need to stir, just make sure it’s roughly even and the batter meets the edges of your skillet. If it doesn’t, you’ve beefed it on your pan size. I can’t help you now.

It’s probably still going to be delicious.

Pop it back in your oven and set a 20 minute timer.

And voila! Sexy, right?

It will come out of the oven all puffy but will quickly deflate out of the heat. Don’t worry, it’s supposed to.

Take a spatula and separate it from the sides, then carve it up to serve it. Depending on how well your pan is seasoned you might have some side-stickidge.

This volume comfortably feeds 2.



I usually snarf mine with plain yogurt and maple syrup.