Éclair with Orange and Pistachio Cream (French Éclair)

To say that this orange and pistachio éclair recipe by a famous French pastry chef Christophe Adam, adapted from Le Journal du Patissier n.387, is elaborate would be an understatement. Flavoured with best vanilla extract, the choux pastry is made with equal parts of milk, water, butter and flour and two parts eggs. Since pistacios are used in the cream, the paste, and for decoration, chef Adam recommends using Iranian pistachios for higher quality and more authentic flavour.

Choux Pastry:
milk (160 g)
water (160 g)
butter (160 g)
sugar (6 g)
sea salt (4 g)
pure vanilla extract (8 g)
flour (160 g)
eggs (280 g)

Pistachio Cream:
230 g milk (230 g)
orange zest, freshly grated (15 g)
egg yolks (15 g)
sugar (35 g)
custard powder (12 g)
butter (70 g)
pistachio paste (12 g)
1 g gelatin powder (1 g)

Pistchio Almond Paste:
almond paste 50% (130 g)
pistachio paste (10 g)

Shiny Green Glaze:
neutral glaze (20 g)
green colourant, as needed
shiny green colourant, as needed

Garnish:
pistachio powder (2 g)
candied orange cubes (10 g)

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Boil milk, water, butter, sugar, salt and the liquid vanilla. Remove from the heat and add the flour while vigorously mixing using a spatula until you see the batter starting to separate from the edges. Using a mixer add the eggs one by one mixing after each addition until the dough is smooth and shiny. With a piping bag pipe the dough into 11 cm long oblong shapes.

Bake for 20 minutes in apreheated oven until the éclairs have puffed up and turned golden brown.

Soften the gelatin in milk, then heat it up and infuse it with orange zest for 10 minutes. Pass the milk through a sieve. Using yolks, custard powder and sugar make a pastry cream by cooking it on a low heat until it boils and thickens. When cooked, cool down to 40 °C and add pistachio paste and cubed butter. Mix all together well and cool in the fridge.

In a saucepan boil the glaze and add the color. First, fill the éclairs with the pistachio cream, then brush them with a hot glaze. Roll out the pistachio almond paste to 22 mm thick and stick it to the éclairs while the brushed glaze is still hot. Reheat the glaze and brush the top of the paste, then to finish, sprinkle the assembled éclair with pistachio powder and candied oranges.

Makes 10 servings.