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Does Newcastle have the country’s finest éclairs? Melbourne might have the best croissants in the world (hello, Lune) – now Newcastle could also be a star contender in the pastry stakes. Nicolas Poelaert, the French chef who won praise at Brooks and Embrasse restaurants in Melbourne, moved to New South Wales’ second-largest city two years ago and is now making waves with his choux-pastry smarts.
Soon after arriving in Newcastle, Poelaert, who has worked with Michelin-awarded French chefs including Sébastien and Michel Bras of the revered Laguiole restaurant Bras, and Alain Gelle of La Meunerie, turned his attention (and all those years of training and technique) to sweets. “I knew I could bring something new,” he says. “Something new but Old World, and give it a bit of a twist.”
In January, Poelaert and his wife, Tara, launched Choux Pâtisserie, a mobile éclair trailer that now tours Newcastle’s markets. “No one has been focused on reinventing the classic éclair so far,” he says. “We are.” Choux Pâtisserie’s éclairs are even lighter than usual, yet still have that essential velvety filling. “You don’t always have to use cream,” says Poelaert. “We use crème pâtissière, light cheesecake, custards and different fruit curds, too.” Berries are watery, he says, so are better suited to mousse or cheesecake. His cherry and white-chocolate éclair calls for mascarpone.
The range consists of seven éclairs in two sizes, and the menu changes every six to eight weeks. Upcoming winter flavours include lemon, yuzu and mandarin, apple and rice pudding, and rhubarb with macadamia and white chocolate.
“The éclairs we make are fresher and generally just better in every way,” he says, adding that some of them are so full of fruit he’s almost tempted to say they’re healthy. Almost. “An éclair a day will keep the doctor away.” Choux Pâtisserie éclairs are sold weekly at the Newcastle City Farmers Market, monthly at The Olive Tree Market and at special events in Newcastle, NSW; chouxpatisserie.com