The Heartstopper Recipe

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment and lightly oil it.

In a medium saucepan combine water, milk, butter, salt and sugar. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat.

Remove from heat and immediately add all the sifted flour. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until mixture pulls away from the sides and forms a smooth ball (about 30 seconds).

Return the pan to low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 1–2 minutes to dry the dough slightly. Remove from heat and let cool 3–4 minutes.

Beat in eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Final choux should be smooth, glossy and pipeable. You may not need the full three eggs — use enough so the dough falls in a ribbon when lifted.

Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a 1 cm round tip. Pipe 12 × 10–12 cm éclairs (or 8 larger) onto the prepared sheet leaving space between.

Brush tops very lightly with oil (this helps with sheen) and sprinkle a little powdered sugar if desired. Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 10 minutes, then reduce oven to 180°C (350°F) and bake for 15–20 more minutes until puffed and deep golden. Do not open oven during baking.

Turn off oven, crack door and allow éclairs to dry inside for 10 minutes. Cool completely on a rack. Once cooled, slice lengthwise or poke holes for filling.

If using gelatin sheets, soften 1 sheet in cold water for 5 minutes. If using powdered gelatin, sprinkle over 2 tbsp cold water and bloom for 5 minutes.

Warm 1/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup sugar in a small saucepan until sugar dissolves and mixture is hot but not boiling.

Whisk egg yolks in a bowl. Temper yolks by slowly whisking a few spoons of the hot milk mixture into the yolks, then whisking the yolk mixture back into the pan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (do not boil).

Remove from heat and stir in espresso and grated tonka bean. Squeeze excess water from bloomed gelatin and stir into the warm custard until fully dissolved. Cool custard to room temperature, stirring occasionally to avoid skin formation.

Whip cold heavy cream to soft peaks. Fold one-third of whipped cream into cooled custard to lighten, then gently fold in remaining cream until homogeneous. Chill the mousse until slightly set, about 30–45 minutes — it should be pipeable.

Transfer mousse to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip for filling éclairs.

Place chopped dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl.

In a small saucepan, bring milk, cream and sugar just to a simmer. Meanwhile lightly toast cracked Szechuan peppercorns in a dry pan 30 seconds to bloom aroma, then crush slightly with a mortar or back of a spoon.

Whisk egg yolks in a separate bowl. Slowly pour about one-third of the hot milk mixture into the yolks to temper, whisking constantly. Pour tempered yolks back into the saucepan and cook gently over low heat, stirring, until the mixture thickens and reaches about 82–84°C (180°F) and coats the back of a spoon.

Immediately strain the custard through a fine sieve over the chocolate to remove any cooked bits and the majority of the peppercorns if you want a smooth texture; press the toasted pepper through the sieve to extract flavor but avoid large bits. Stir until chocolate melts and the mix becomes glossy.

Add cold cubed butter and emulsify until smooth. Taste and add a pinch more crushed Szechuan if you want a more pronounced floral-numbing note. Let the crémeux cool to thick but spreadable/pipeable consistency, then refrigerate to set slightly (about 1 hour).

If needed, warm slightly before piping to get a shiny finish.

Pat chicken skin thoroughly dry with paper towels. Cut into small, attractive shards (~3–4 cm) so they crisp evenly.

Season lightly with 1/4 tsp salt.

Heat neutral oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Fry chicken skin pieces in batches, pressing them flat with a spatula so they make full contact with the pan. Fry until golden brown and very crisp, about 3–5 minutes per batch.

Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain and cool — they will crisp further as they cool. Keep them in a warm low oven (80–100°C) if preparing ahead to maintain crispness.

In a bowl whisk together milk, cream, sugar, hazelnut paste and salt until sugar dissolves and mixture is smooth.

Chill the mixture in the refrigerator until very cold, at least 1 hour (or briefly in an ice bath).

Churn in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer instructions until soft-set. Fold in toasted chopped hazelnuts if using, then transfer to a container and freeze until firm (2–4 hours). If you don't have an ice cream machine, freeze in a shallow container and stir vigorously every 30 minutes until creamy.

Split each cooled éclair lengthwise, or make two small incisions and pipe filling inside. Pipe a generous layer of tonka–espresso mousse into the base of each éclair (about 2–3 tbs per éclair depending on size).

Top with a thick piped or spread layer of dark chocolate crémeux (about 1–2 tbs) and smooth for a glossy finish. If desired, use a small torch very briefly to set the top for sheen—be careful not to melt the mousse.

Garnish each éclair with 2–3 pieces of crispy chicken skin placed artfully on top or leaning against the éclair to provide crunch and savory contrast. Sprinkle a few remaining crushed Szechuan peppercorns lightly over the crémeux for aroma.

Plate one éclair per serving with a generous scoop or quenelle of hazelnut ice cream alongside. Sprinkle a little powdered sugar over the éclair for presentation if desired.

Serve each plate with a shot (1 shot) of Don Papa Baroko rum on the side — optionally flame the rum briefly for dramatic service but exercise caution and do so only if experienced.

Recommend serving immediately so the chicken skin retains crispness and the éclair contrasts creamy, crunchy and boozy elements.