A Cooking Experiment

 I'm not sure if anyone remembers, but a couple of years ago I got four little round glass baking dishes at Goodwill for a whopping total of $1.99.  My intent with them was to try to cut down recipes into individual servings sizes and/or take a normal recipe, divide it into four dishes, cook it then freeze the extra portions for future lunches, solo dinners, etc.

Honestly, I haven't done much with them since then, other than doing some baked spaghetti one time, which worked well.  For those little spaghettis I lined the dishes with pieces of foil, baked, then when cool lifted out by the foil, folded the (extra big) pieces of foil over the top of the spaghetti and froze.  Worked like a charm.

Ever since I made a cherry clafouti for the first time this summer, I've wondered if there was a way to downsize the recipe (since I don't think it would freeze and reheat well) to make an individual clafouti.  Especially since DH didn't care for it, and I certainly can't/shouldn't eat an entire pie pan of clafouti by myself before it spoils.

Fast forward to this weekend.  DH has gone out of town on a snowmobiling trip with friends.  I've willingly stayed home (not so fond of the whole group weekend experience).  In the fridge are some strawberries that aren't quite the most palatable; they are the less ripe orangish-pinkish ones in the container I bought from the store and ate all the really ripe ones first.  I'd like to make use of these firmer less juicy strawberries other than feeding them to the chickens.

Hmm.  Could I make strawberry clafouti?  Could I make it small enough to utilize one or two of those little glass casserole dishes?

The answer is yes, yes I can!

I adapted a cherry clafouti for two recipe, used my little glass dishes, and it worked great!  Tasted great too.  I ate both of them for lunch instead of using them as a dessert like the recipe intended (I had cut out some of the 'make it sweet' ingredients).

Here's how I made it, if you'd like to try with your own little baking dishes.  I imagine it would work with large ramekins, but possibly not the normal sized ones (I'd be worried about it overflowing as it cooked).

Strawberry Clafouti

About 8 large strawberries, cut in half.

1 large egg (or two smallish ones; I used pullet eggs that aren't quite up to normal size yet)

2 Tbsp sugar

1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

3 Tbsp flour

1 Tbsp melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease two small baking dishes.  Divide cut strawberries equally between the two dishes.

2. In a small bowl, beat egg(s) and sugar together with a whisk until foamy.  Add the milk, vanilla and salt, whisk well.  Add the flour and whisk until smooth.  Add melted butter and whisk lightly.

3. Pour mixture into baking dishes.  Set dishes on a small cookie sheet and put into oven.  Bake about 25 minutes (mine came out a little rubbery, which I didn't mind but if you like it more custardy I'd check after about 23 min and adjust as needed).

4. Remove from oven.  Put dishes on wire rack and cool about 5 minutes before serving.