Cherry tomato clafoutis with zucchini and oregano

Ingredients

• 500 g heirloom cherry tomatoes
• 2 zucchini, grated with the skin on
• 4 eggs
• 125 ml (½ cup) milk
• 125 ml (½ cup) cream
• 60 g (½ cup) plain flour
• 50 g (½ cup) pecorino or parmesan cheese, grated
• 20 g butter
• 1 bunch oregano, leaves picked
• a handful mixed herb and leaf salad
• 60 ml (¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Method

Preheat the oven to 120°C.

Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and set them, facing up, on an oven tray lined with a sheet of baking paper, season them with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper and put them in the oven for 2 hours to dry them out and concentrate the flavour.

Place the grated zucchini in a bowl and salt generously. Allow to stand for 1 hour to release their water. Squeeze the water out with your hands, then put the zucchini flesh in a strainer over a bowl to let any more moisture drain.

In a bowl, beat the eggs for 1 minute then add the milk, cream, flour, and cheese. Season and mix well.

Increase the oven temperature to 160°C.

Grease four shallow ovenproof dishes of about 12 centimetres diameter with the butter and add the zucchini. Place the tomatoes with their cut face upwards on top of the zucchini.

Add half the oregano to the egg mixture, stir well and ladle the mixture into each dish nearly up to the rim. Bake for 30 minutes until lightly golden and puffy. Cool for a minute or two.

Put the salad on top of each clafoutis, sprinkle the rest of the oregano on top and drizzle with the olive oil and vinegar before serving.

Serge’s notes: I like to use pecorino made from sheep’s milk as it has a sharper flavour, but parmesan would certainly be an easy replacement. You could make the clafoutis with pitted olives, roasted shallots, blanched sliced leeks, asparagus or chorizo.