L'éclair, its history and our selection of the best addresses

Anne Debbasch | 10/18/23, 2:40 PM

With its crunchy-melting choux pastry and fragrant crème pâtissière, the éclair is a staple of French patisserie. While it can be eaten without a spoon in a flash, it can also be enjoyed on a plate in a more sophisticated version.

A little history. The choux pastry stick dates back to Catherine de Médicis. Called Duchesse at the time, the pastry was sprinkled after baking with dried fruit or glazed with caramel. It wasn't until the 19ᵉ century that Antonin Carême introduced crème pâtissière and fondant. And it wasn't until 1860 that the Duchesse became Éclair. This little cake has kept pace with developments in pastry-making, notably with the arrival of pastry shells, which now enable it to be filled without slicing. In today's interpretations, the cream has become lighter, the fondant has given way to cracker and icing, and the flavors have become more intense.

Gault&Millau invites you to share a few remarkable eclairs to be tasted at least once in a lifetime.

L'éclair au café, Kevin Lacote, Paris

His éclair au café has the whole of Paris in a frenzy! "I chose robusta coffee for its strength and bitterness, which I modulate by using blond chocolate."The result is an éclair generously topped with an incredibly smooth, light cream that can be enjoyed with a good hot chocolate at this pastry shop in Paris's 17th arrondissement. Irresistible!

Where? 78 avenue de Villiers, 75017 Paris
www.klpatisserie.com

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LiseSébastien, ©GéraldineMartens

Giant vanilla éclair to share, Bernachon, Lyon

At Bernachon, indulgence is not an option. With a family-size Madagascar vanilla éclair, it's hard to resist temptation. Handcrafted in the Lyon workshops, Philippe Bernachon interprets the éclair as he pleases, with chocolate, vanilla with or without raspberry in season, praline or lemon. In Lyon, the XL version is now a Sunday lunchtime must.

Where? 42 Cours Franklin Roosevelt, 69006 Lyon or 127 rue de Sèvres, 75006 Paris
www.bernachon.com

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©Bernachon

L'éclair Pécan, Pierre Hubert, Dijon

Pierre Hubert has a weakness for vanilla. For his éclair, he had no choice but to invite the fragrance of the precious bean into the cream. "I like to add pecans for their gourmet notes and crunchy texture."On top, to retain all the charm of traditional éclairs, the cakes are covered in fondant, adding a sweet, gourmet touch.

Where? 31 rue des Godrans, 21000 Dijon
www.pier re-hubert.fr

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©PHubert

L'éclair chocolat, Thibault Leroy, La Grande Épicerie, Paris

At La Grande Épicerie de Paris, pastry chef Thibault Leroy offers an anthological chocolate éclair all year round. "I chose 75% organic pure Madagascar chocolate from Pralus to give character to the creaminess."To amplify the contrasting textures, he adds a cracker to the top and swaps the fondant for a chocolate glaze that is not very sweet, so as not to alter the flavors of the crémeux. Depending on the season, the range is enriched with a calisson éclair in summer and a pistachio éclair in winter.

Where? 38 rue de Sèvres, 75007 Paris
www.lagr andeepicerie.com

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©DR

Julien Alvarez's éclair caramel, Ladurée, Paris

Refined and elegant, Julien Alvarez's éclair transports us to another galaxy, that of ultra-indulgence. In a fluffy choux pastry covered with a thin cracker, the pastry chef creates a creamy caramel cream infused with Tonka bean, punctuated with a few splashes of fleur de sel caramel. "Tonka bean and caramel, the taste of which I push, take us back to childhood."The éclair is encircled by a thin layer of crunchy caramel chocolate, giving this exceptional éclair a singular aura. To be savored without delay.

Where to buy? In all the company's boutiques
www.laduree.fr

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