Far Breton with prunes is a traditional dessert from Brittany. I give all of the secrets and techniques for an ultra-gourmet, melting texture, and golden brown far.
Far Breton as its title says, is a typical recipe from the repertoire of Brittany’s delicacies. When baking a conventional recipe, until you wish to give a contemporary take or cut back the quantity of sugar or fats, there’s no must reinvent issues.
Within the recipe I’m sharing with you as we speak, I’ve simply decreased the quantity of sugar for a tasty however not overly candy dessert. In spite of everything, the prunes already do the job! Plus, this categorical recipe is extremely simple to make.
The secrets and techniques to Mastering Your Far Breton
The 2 secrets and techniques to attaining a conventional well-balanced, dense but clean and creamy texture with a superbly golden high are:
- Utilizing scorching milk (complete milk is much more indulgent), so you must warmth it in a saucepan earlier than including it to the combination.
- Beginning to bake with a highly regarded oven after which lowering the temperature.
Learn how to stop the prunes from sinking to the underside?
Everybody has their trick: sprinkling the prunes with flour, letting the combination relaxation in a cool place or the fridge for about ten minutes earlier than placing the far within the oven, or soaking the prunes in scorching water…
Personally, I ponder if beginning with excessive warmth originally may assist. Who is aware of…
What temperature to bake the far breton?
On this recipe, I counsel beginning at excessive temperature, 210°C / 410°F after which, after 10 minutes, decreasing it to the standard cake baking temperature of 180°C / 350°F for 45 minutes.
I do know it would seem to be loads at first, nevertheless it’s what offers it that texture and beautiful golden look. This tip was handed on to me by a Breton girl 🙂
Origin and Historical past of Far Breton
A quintessential Breton specialty, the time period “far” first appeared in writings within the 18th century with out specifying precisely what it referred to. Initially, it appeared to consult with a stuffing for poultry cooked in a pot, thus nearer to the modern “kig-ha-farz.”
It wasn’t till 1850, within the Celto-Breton dictionary by Le Gonidec, that “far” appeared, referring to a “dough comprised of wheat or buckwheat, positioned in a small fabric bag to be cooked in broth. It will also be baked within the oven, including prunes or raisins.“
The “far” was due to this fact usually initially in a savory model, considerably used as a substitute for bread.
A easy and filling dish, it was ready with the components out there on the farm: eggs, milk, flour, wheat or buckwheat.
Sailors usually took it throughout their voyages. Brittany has an extended historical past of fishing boats going far-off for months.
The place does the phrase far or farz come from?
In French, we use the phrase “far.” In Breton, Brittany’s dialect, it’s written as “farz” (far) or “farz forn” (oven-baked far). The phrase “far” may have a number of origins: from “farine” (flour) or “farci” (stuffed), in accordance with Alain Rey in his historic dictionary of the French language, from the Sanskrit “bhar” which means meals, or from the Latin “far” which refers to wheat, spelt, oatmeal, or perhaps a cake (like “far pium,” Virgil’s sacred cake).
Why Are Prunes Added to Far Breton?
Prunes add a candy and moist contact to the cake, however they had been initially added their calorific worth. As we’ve seen, far breton was a kind of journey cake for sailors.
Including prunes offered a helpful dietary contribution (prunes are notably wealthy in minerals akin to magnesium, potassium, and have a excessive caloric consumption (229 kcal per 100 g).
A superb factor is that prunes can be found all 12 months spherical. I’ve learn that sailors would trade them for fish throughout their journeys.
Raisins can change prunes. Some say that the true conventional far breton is with out prunes.
After studying an 80-page e book devoted to far, I understand there isn’t only one recipe however a large number of variations relying on the areas of Brittany and households. Coming quickly on the weblog: one other recipe with buckwheat flour.
A enjoyable reality (for a French like me!) is that the French phrase for prune is pruneau and that the French phrase for plum is prune!
What’s the distinction between far, flan vs clafoutis?
Flan doesn’t comprise flour or butter, only a combination of eggs and milk and/or cream. “Flan pâtissier” or Parisian flan does have butter and is baked in a pastry crust, usually puff pastry.
The closest pastry to far could be clafoutis or flognarde. The distinguishing ingredient is the filling, which isn’t contemporary fruit like in cherry clafoutis however dried fruit: prunes or raisins. It’s a bit like a crepe batter crammed and baked within the oven!
The components wanted are quite simple, solely 5.
All you want are prunes set in an egg and flour custard, a form of pudding.
- Milk Ideally complete milk
- Eggs Select giant eggs at room temperature
- Flour All-purpose flour is ok
- Sugar Granulated sugar is ok, however chances are you’ll use uncooked sugar
- Prunes Substitute raisins
- Non-compulsory Cognac or brandy, vanilla, icing sugar.
The primary steps of the recipe are additionally very simple
Warmth milk. In the meantime whisk eggs and sugar, add flour and mix. Gently pour in scorching milk whisking continuously. Pour in a greased ceramic oven proof dish. add prunes and bake first at excessive temperature then decrease the warmth.
Far Breton with Prunes
The true conventional far Breton recipe, a French dessert from Brittany a bit much like clafoutis however with prunes. Barely candy, each dense and clean, this cake is the proper dessert of snack.
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Non-compulsory: Earlier than serving, sprinkle with icing sugar. The recipe is with out alcohol however chances are you’ll add a little bit of Cognac (or Brandy in the event you don’t have any)
Far Breton will be made as much as three days upfront and refrigerated. Take it out of the fridge to return to room temperature earlier than serving.
