Namelaka

I call it the "secret cream of pastry chefs" because although all the great pastry chefs use namelaka cream, it is rarely used or known in the "home confectionery" and even in most bakeries. The recipe for the Namelaka cream is a quick one (apart from the 12 hours it has to sit in the fridge), very easy to make and the Namelaka cream is perfect for tarts, entremets, choux or eclairs.

Pistachio Namelaka :

• 5 g Gelatin

• 25 g Water

• 200 g Milk

• 370 g White Chocolate

• 80 g Pistachio Paste

• 400 g Cream

Hydrate the gelatin in cold water and set it aside. I used gelatin granules, but if you use gelatin sheets, you need the same amount.

Heat the milk to the boiling point, then add the hydrated gelatin and mix until dissolved.

Put the pistachio paste over the white chocolate and pour the hot milk, mixing with a spatula until the chocolate melts completely. If necessary, you can put the bowl containing the chocolate on a steam bath to heat it up. After it has melted, homogenize well with a vertical mixer.

Add the cold cream while mixing with a vertical mixer, then put the cream in the fridge for 10-12 hours, covered with a food foil.

• For the white chocolate/milk chocolate Namelaka, simply remove the pistachios and make the cream according to the recipe above.

• For the dark chocolate Namelaka, remove the pistachios from the recipe above and replace the white chocolate with 250g of dark chocolate (55% cocoa)