Éclair is the French word for ‘flash of lightening’ and refers to how quickly it disappears when served. These little bolts of deliciousness were first created by culinary genius Maria Antonin Caréme during the early 19th century. It is an elongated pastry made with choux pastry, the same dough used to make profiteroles, which is piped into small cigar shapes, filled with flavoured cream and glazed or topped with icing. Capsicum Culinary Studio, the largest chef school of its kind in the country introduces an entirely local twist to this traditional favourite and transforms this sweet treat into a sizzling South African savoury.
Ingredients:
Éclair Pastry:
- 10g salt
- 10g sugar
- 200g butter
- 250g milk
- 250g water
- 275g cake flour
- 500g eggs Biltong Filling:
- 5g flour
- 10g sugar
- 20g yolks
- 50g biltong, extra finely chopped
- 50g biltong, finely chopped
- 100g cream, whipped
- 250g milk
Éclair Pastry Method:
- Bring the butter, milk, sugar, salt and water to a gentle boil.
- Remove from heat and immediately add the flour to the mixture all at once and stir in.
- Return to the heat and cook the dough on the stove on low heat for about 2 minutes, and transfer to a glass a bowl.
- Add the eggs to the dough mixture one by one and mix in until you have an elastic shiny mixture.
- Place into a piping bag and pipe mixture onto a greased or lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 200 Celsius.
Biltong Filling:
- Mix the extra finely chopped biltong and milk.
- Bring mixture to the boil over low heat.
- Mix sugar, yolks and flour in a glass bowl. Slowly add the heated milk to it.
- Pour the mixture back into the pot and cook mixture, constantly stirring, until thick.
- Let the mixture cool in the fridge.
- Mix in whipped cream and finely chopped biltong.
Assembly:
Cut éclair pastry in half. Pipe Biltong filling into éclair ‘boat’. Top with fine slices of avocado, cherry tomato, biltong and micro-greens.
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