Anyone with an abiding interest in food knows that the French have made innumerable contributions to the culinary world. For many years the archetype of food perfection (or unattainable standards) was the French chef. Snooty, egomaniacal, tyrannical, impossible to please – especially if you worked for him – a few of these types still remain, but they are quickly disappearing. Except for Gordon Ramsay.
Nevertheless, there are so many techniques we continue to use and will continue to use because so many have proved that there are no better ways to achieve certain results.
Indeed, the culinary masters of the universe from the other side of the globe – from China and Japan – have their own sets of culinary standards. But even they have adapted a good number of French techniques.
One example is choux (pronounced “shoe”) pastry, the basis for cream puffs and eclairs. The dough for each is the same. The only difference is the length of the dough you pipe onto your baking sheet.
Here is the basic formula:
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup whole milk
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour (sifted, then measured)
6 large eggs, divided
Position one rack in the top third and one rack in the bottom third of your oven and preheat to 425 degrees. Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Bring water, milk, butter and salt to a boil in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until the butter melts. Add flour all at once and stir vigorously until dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Continue to stir until a film forms on the pan’s bottom, about one to two minutes longer. Transfer the dough to a large bowl. Cool five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add one egg and, still using a wooden spoon, beat until blended. Add remaining five eggs, one at a time, beating until blended after each, then beat until dough is smooth and shiny, two to three minutes.
Working in batches, transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with half-inch plain round tip. Pipe one-inch mounds, spaced about two inches apart, onto prepared baking sheets. Wet your index finger with water and smooth the tops so there are no peaks.
Bake the puffs 15 minutes. Reverse baking sheets. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Continue to bake until puffs are dry, firm and deep golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes longer. Cool the puffs on the baking sheets.
Properly baked puffs and eclairs will have a virtually hollow inside, ready to receive your filling. Making the cream puffs then consists of making pastry cream and injecting it into the puff or eclair. Either pastry can be (and usually is) topped with chocolate.
Your cream puffs don’t have to be sweet or served for dessert. They lend themselves nicely to savory dishes – so I encourage you to think outside the bakery box. I’ve used the puffs to hold salmon mousse, for example.
With the party season in full swing, yours will take on a “je n’sais quoi” when you use the classical French method to make choux pastry.