Cream Puffs & Crème Patisserie

Perhaps I ought to have photographs on a step-by-step basis. It might help, especially in the dessert section. In any case, I will provide the recipe for the cream puffs & éclairs - photographs of which are now posted on the group.

For the Cream Puffs and/or Éclairs

1 cup water
1 cup flour
6 tbsp butter
3-4 eggs + 2 egg whites
pinch of salt
1 tsp sugar

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Combine the butter, water, sugar and salt in a medium pan and bring to a boil.
2. Then add in all the flour at once, turn down the heat to medium, and continue stirring. The mixture will start looking like a messy glob, but then it will come together and start to pull away from the sizes within 2 minutes or so.
3. When it comes together, continue stirring until you notice VERY LITTLE residue sticking to the bottom of the pot. This tells you much of your water content has now evaporated.
4. Let it cool a little - enough that you can put your finger in without removing it quickly. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition with a wooden spoon. You can use a mixer on low-medium speed. The end result must be a very thick yet pliable batter. When you lift the wooden spoon or mixer from the batter, it must slowly fall to the bowl, creating a 'v shape' as if it is tearing from the spoon or whisk.
5. Put it in a pastry bag and pipe mounds, about 1.5 inches wide and 1" high. The mound will form a small peak on the top - this can be flattened with a slightly damp finger. Place them about 1 inch apart on all sides, on a greaseproof baking sheet. For éclairs, pipe them a little longer
6. Place the tray in the oven, centre position, and close the oven door - increase heat to 425F (or 218C) and bake for about 12-14 minutes until golden brown on the top.
7. Lower temperature to 350F (175C) and bake another 10 minutes. Turn the oven off leaving the door ajar for another 10 minutes. (Total 32-34 minutes)
8. Remove the baked cream puffs and prick them with a knife or wooden skewer. Let cool - then start filling it with the cream!

The Why’s:
1. Egg white usually helps in making the shell crispier, as does water. Some recipes call for milk, but they help in making the shell softer (as does yolks). Cream puffs and éclair shells are made to be crispy, though whatever your preference, knock yourself out!
2. The initial bake at a high temperature ensures most of the moisture leaves. It is lowered in order to ‘cool’ and finally, the piercing is to release any built in steam that might be trapped in the hollow center which would contribute to building moisture within and thus, softening the shell.

Crème Patisserie Filling

1 1/2 cups milk
2 egg yolks + 1 egg
2 tbsp of flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup of sugar
2 tbsp butter, cut into pieces

Using electric mixer mix eggs, sugar, flour and cornstarch until pale and well incorporated.

Meanwhile, in a large pot bring milk to almost boiling (The milk will foam up to the top of pot when done, so watch carefully). Using silicone spatula, slowly temper 2/3 of the milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling. Return everything to the pot and over medium heat bring the mixture to boil whisking constantly until the mixture becomes very thick.

Remove from the heat. Cover with plastic wrap and let it cool for 1.5 hours or until the mixture is warm enough to melt butter. Stir in butter until is melted - can be made ahead of time if refrigerated.

Shehnai

With a hint of retreating into colonial times, combined with the decor and splendour of the Indian Subcontinent, the elegant Shehnai Restaurant continues to excel in the culinary cuisine choices that are available in Mombasa. The steep prices (perhaps contributing to the cost of the beautiful upholstery) softly reflects on the menu that could easily be a second dictionary; the variety is endless. In such an environment, one would certainly expect the prices to resemble the surroundings, but I would question the lack of complexity in the flavours that need to match the spiked dough one would ultimately dish out – not to say the food was not good. It was.

Having said that, both the food and service were above the standards you’d generally find in Mombasa. On the day I visited Shehnai, I had the liberty of trying the chef’s special of the day: Malai Chicken. I must admit the chicken was moist and tender, bursting with the richness of exotic spices, all of which went well with the buttered naan. After scrolling through the menu more than once, I also opted for the tandoori prawns, and there was no disappointment there either, while the richness of the vegetable curry added to the meter that met an approval of ‘above expectations’. Disappointingly enough, I ordered the masala fries as an accompaniment, but it was pretty much the same as you’d expect anywhere else, although blatantly over priced without good reason.

If your wallets and purses can take a heavy blow once in a blue moon, and despite some very minor setbacks, Shehnai is a place to visit. And always ask for the chef’s special – you never know what could turn up on your plate! Here are my current ratings:

Service *****
Value ****
Cuisine *****
Price $$$$

Flavours & Marinating

There are a thousand and one ways to marinate meat, chicken or even fish. Every chef, cook or food connoisseur has their own method of mixing spices and creating unique flavours that can only be attributed to the intensity of the marinade used. But that’s not all – the how, when and what that is used is just as crucial to the final outcome of any given dish; whether an appetizer or a main course.

The best part of cooking is to understand the basic flavours, and then exploring the endless possibilities of using the spices at your leisure while knowing the limits of 'how much'. It's good to have recipes but use them only as a guide, not as an end tool. Don't forget; try using olive oil whenever you can, especially with Middle Eastern cooking. It's a healthy and guiltless luxury anyone can enjoy.

When marinating meat or chicken, the three main items that need to be present are: an acid product, oil, and the herbs and spices. The purpose of the acid is to denature the protein strings. Keep in mind, the amount of acid should not overpower the meats but rather used to both enhance the flavour as well as tenderize the meats (more on tenderizing below). The spices are the main flavours that diners will focus on, so make sure they are not overloaded. This is your creative side that will also expose itself through your selection of spices, herbs and other flavours. What the oil does is help maintain the moisture within the marinade and keeps the meats from drying out during the cooking process. Flavoured oil does both.

Did you know that a marinade does not tenderize the meat as such? What I mean is, the entire marinade penetrates to only 1/8th of an inch of the outer layer of the meat, and so large cuts of meat such as whole poultry, roasts, and the likes, will not benefit from ‘becoming tender’ all the way in; which is why a method known as ‘scoring’ is done on some meats and fish. Small cuts of meat about ¼ inch thick (such as steaks and fillets) usually end up with better results. With large cuts, what you want to make sure is how you cook the meat to a point where it does not dry-out on the inside, while still maintain the bursting marinade flavours on the outer surface, and moist and tender within.

Papain is an enzyme that helps in breaking down the tough connective tissues. But all this does mostly is allowing for the breakage of the tissues and in turn the juices tend not to hold well in the meat, becoming drier as you cook. And if you marinate it for too long in the refrigerator or at room temperature, the contact area of the meat becomes mushy. The recommended times are about 2-4 hours room temperature and a maximum of 2 days in the refrigerator. When you use an acid base marinade, always use containers made of glass, ceramic or stainless steel – but never aluminium.

There's much more to it than what I have just mentioned, but if you love cooking, you can push your limits to no end. Next time, I’ll touch on specific flavours and how you can make your own marinade your family or guests will love. Go ahead – experiment a little. Life is full of surprises anyway.