The French Dessert That Inspired Prue Leith To Become A Cook

There are moments in life when we face intersections and make choices that will impact the rest of our lives. Sometimes, what changes our path is personal. Other times, it's pastry. In the case of Dame Prue Leith, it was the latter — and a very specific one.

Today, Leith is a celebrity chef and TV personality, known partly for her role on one of the best cooking shows on Netflix for the foodie in you. But at one time, she was living in Paris and studying to become a translator, and that's when she learned to make a life-changing dish: cherry clafoutis. 

A classic recipe for cherry clafoutis is in Leith's forthcoming book, "Life's Too Short to Stuff a Mushroom," meaning the rest of us can experience this traditional French dessert anytime. In fact, her instructor, a woman for whom she was working as an au pair, deserves gratitude from the many fans who have since benefitted from Leith's culinary expertise. As "The Great British Baking Show" judge puts it in her book, "Owing to the combined influence of Madame's clafoutis, the pâtissérie window at Fouchon, and the deliciousness of a sandwich jambon bought in the street, I changed my mind and became a cook."

Cherry clafoutis is a batter-based, baked creation that is similar to custard in that it's eggy, creamy, craveable, and customizable. Prue Leith's version is studded with fresh cherries and often relies on vanilla (in the form of extract in her recipe, although you can also use pods or paste) however, you can swap out other fruits, add a little boost from lemon zest, or even a bit of a boozy kick from a liqueur like kirsch. Slices can be served simply dusted with powdered sugar or paired with basic but bulletproof whipped cream.

Leith relies on a handy cherry-pitting trick to make her clafoutis a little simpler to pull off. She sets one piece of the washed and patted-dry fruit in the mouth of an empty bottle with a narrow neck (think beer or soda) and, using a chopstick, punches through to pop out the seed within. There are some tasty ways to use cherry pits before you discard them, and while this clever trick may save some time and spare you from having to purchase your own cherry stone remover, this clafoutis may just change your life.