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We’ve gawked at—and no doubt waited in massive lines for—canned ice cream sundaes, Cronuts, and chocolate-cherry cookie shots from madcap pastry master Dominique Ansel, but there’s a new set of sweet crossbreeds on the way: savory éclairs. Surprisingly, these aren’t the brainchild of the famed French baker but rather the newcomers at Les Jardins de la Duchesse, an all-éclair shop slated to open in the Lower East Side (138 Orchard St between Delancey and Rivington Sts) at the end of November.
But why the hell are they topping éclairs with wasabi? Though the idea sounds off-putting, chef Antoine Pelhate has tweaked the traditional recipe slightly with salt and spices to complement hearty flavors like curry chicken and tomato-mozzarella. It might be a bit nutty to stuff the French classic with smoked salmon and Philly-style cream cheese, but you can’t knock it ‘till you try it, right?
Here’s a closer look at the crazy concoctions:
Courtesy of Les Jardins de la Duchesse
Bacon-wrapped Goat Cheese, $6.50
Goat cheese with thyme, honey, walnuts and bacon
Courtesy of Les Jardins de la Duchesse
Chicken Curry, $6
Curry sauce with pineapples and marinated chicken
Courtesy of Les Jardins de la Duchesse
Mozzarella and Tomato, $5.50
Tomatoes with pesto, mozzarella and shallots
Courtesy of Les Jardins de la Duchesse
Salmon and Wasabi, $7.50
Smoked salmon with Philadelphia cream cheese, dill, wasabi icing and wasabi-coated peanuts