Sweet Paris : Clarifying the éclair
Who hasn't heard of the éclair? It is perhaps one of the most well known exports of French gastronomy, along with foie gras and champagne. Anglophones have been familiar with this oblong pastry since its appearance in a 1861 Vanity Fair magazine. But what is it exactly, besides creamy, puffy and full of chocolate? The éclair falls into the puff pastry category due to its choux pastry base, a confection of water, salt, sugar, butter and eggs. The pâte à choux is unique for its hollow center upon baking, allowing for a variety of fillings limited only to the imagination. In the case of the éclair, the cooked puff pastry is cut in half, filled and iced. In the 21st century, the most common garnishes are chocolate or coffee flavored crème pâtissière, though the highly regarded Fauchon has made innovative éclairs their specialty. The word éclair means lightning in French, an unlikely name for a puffy pocket of chocolate cream. One explanation in John Ayto's 'An A-Z of Food and Drink' posits that 'it was suggested by the light gleaming from their coating of fondant icing.' A more likely explanation is the rapidity with which éclairs disappear...
The modern éclair is a relatively recent creation, but its development is directly tied to the birth of pastry making in Europe. Food historians agree that medieval crusaders brought the first inklings of pastry from the Mediterranean to Europe in the form of crispy baklava and filo dough. Popelini, Catherine de' Medici's chef is credited with the development of pâte à choux, or puff pastry, in 1540. Renaissance chefs filled the hollow puffs with various sweet and savory fillings. Popelini's invention became the basis for a variety of 17th and 18th century pastries, among them the éclair. Pastry making is considered to have become an art in its own right through the innovations of Antonin Careme in the 19th century. Though the exact origin of the éclair is unknown, Careme is thought to have created something similar during his tenure as pastry chef for the French royalty. Perhaps it was he who added the now-standard fondant icing in the 18th century that graces the top of every éclair.
So even if you've had an éclair outside of France, don't think you've had a veritable éclair! For something à la mode and very trendy, head to Fauchon for a 3D éclair in lemon-pistachio-orange or vanilla-toffee with morsels of tender caramel. For something more elegant and unusual, stop by Sadaharu Aoki for a black sesame variety. Or just stop by your corner pâtisserie and treat yourself to a good old-fashioned éclair au chocolat. Bon appétit!
Fauchon, 24-26 place de la Madeleine, Paris 8ème
Sadaharu Aoki
35 rue de Vaugirard, Paris 6ème
56 blvd de Port Royal, Paris 5ème
Lafayette Gourmand, first floor
