Wednesday 2 September 2009

Far Breton

Today's French speciality is a lot nicer than Suze! It's a traditional Brittany dessert, far Breton. The version here is the most common, with prunes, although strictly a traditional far wouldn't contain fruit.


The dish is a dense, sweetened batter, baked in the oven (think of it as a heavier version of clafoutis, better suited to the winters of northern France). There are as many recipes as cooks, but here is a fairly standard one:

250g flour
4 eggs
175g sugar
1 litre milk
prunes (ideally, soaked in black tea)
a little butter

Heat the milk in a pan.
Meanwhile, add the eggs and sugar to the flour, and mix.
Add the warmed milk - and, if you like, a little rum. Beat into a smooth batter.
Grease an ovenproof dish with butter. Spread the prunes over the bottom, then pour over the batter.
Cook in a hot oven (220C) for 15 minutes. Then, turn it down to 170C and cook for about a further 30-45 minutes.
The far can be eaten warm, but is generally served cold.

2 comments:

TravelGirl said...

That sounds wonderful. I'm copying the recipe, will give it a try as the weather worsens here... Thanks!

Anonymous said...

I love it; but, as you indicate, it is rather heavy! I like the idea of adding fruit.