Thanksgiving Clafouti

RECIPE COURTESY OF MARK FULLER OF SPRING HILL RESTAURANT
Clafouti is a simple French dessert made with cherries. In Fuller’s version, tart cranberries provide the perfect counterpoint to the custard’s sweetness.
INGREDIENTS
- 3½ cups plus 3 tbsp sugar, divided
- 3 cups water
- 6 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
- 8 tbsp (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan
- 4½ oz almonds, blanched
- 4 large eggs plus 3 large yolks, separated
- 1 cup milk
- Pinch salt
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 175 degrees. Combine 3 cups of sugar with water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved completely. Add cranberries and cook at a bare simmer for 8 minutes until berries are soft and fragrant, but not yet bursting. Drain and set aside.
Line a baking sheet with parchment. Spread berries in an even layer and bake for 6 hours. Berries should be wilted but not completely dried out. Let berries cool, then toss with 3 tablespoons of sugar. Butter an 11-by-8-inch oval ovenproof casserole and spread sugared berries on the bottom.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Melt 8 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over low heat until solids fall to the bottom of the pan and turn light brown. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
In a food processor, whirl almonds with ¼ cup of sugar until fine. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and yolks with the last ¼ cup of sugar. Stir in milk and salt, then sprinkle flour over the top of the batter, and whisk in.
Transfer to a blender, add almond sugar, and blend until smooth. With blender running, add browned butter in a slow, steady stream. Pour batter over berries and bake 60 to 70 minutes, or until firm in the center. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.