5 Ingredients is an Urban Family series where we sit down with a Shanghai-based chef and ask for a family-friendly meal using 5 Ingredients easily found in Shanghai; let us help you start the week with a simple five-step recipe!
This week we talked to Mark Yu, Executive Chef for French bakery and cafe Pain Chaud. With 20 years of work experience in French style bread baking and dessert making, Chef Yu has spent his career in French restaurants, such as Mr & Mrs Bund and Unico. This talented premium-pastry chef draws motivation from seeing family, friends and guests delighted with the taste of his desserts. To further hone his skills, he will never miss the opportunity to learn from the best French chefs when they visit Shanghai.
Can you tell me about the dish you are helping us prepare this week?
I want to share my pistachio choux. It's very easy to make, and the kids will enjoy time together in the kitchen preparing the ingredients.
What ingredients do we need?
35 grams choux pastry
100 grams imported green pistachios
100 grams fresh cream
40 grams sugar
Image via Pain Chaud
What is the five-step recipe?
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and bake the choux pastry for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
2. Reduce the oven to 150 degrees Celsius and bake the pistachios for 3 minutes. Then, place them in a food processor and blend until you reach a smooth texture.
3. In a medium bowl, add the sugar and fresh cream and gently whip until light and fluffy. Then, stir in your pistachio paste.
4. Cut the choux pastries in half with a bread knife. Then, using a piping bag, fill the choux with the pistachio cream.
5. Sprinkle crushed pistachios on top for decoration.
What’s your advice on your dish of the week?
When you are baking the choux pastry, never open the oven door, as the top of the choux might collapse. Furthermore, when you are whipping the fresh cream, be gentle and don’t beat it too hard. A gentle touch will avoid creating butterfat, which will cause it to taste bad.
Tell us something that’s happening with your business at the moment, that our Urban Family community can enjoy.
We are excited to announce that Pain Chaud has grown. In addition to our L’Avenue and Yongkang Lu bakeries, we recently opened our new flagship store in the heart of the former French Concession on Jianguo Xi Lu.
[Title and profile images via Pain Chaud]
For more 5 Ingredients recipes, click here.
