Orange – Nigella Religieuse, served with Abesh Eweha

To make the choux pastry, pour water, milk, salt and sugar into a saucepan. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the mixture. Heat, on low temperature, until boiling, then remove the pan from the stove. Add some flour and stir until smooth. Put the pan back on medium heat and stir the mixture until it forms a ball.
Put in a mixer, on medium speed, until no more steam is released. Add the eggs one by one, stirring slowly, until the pastry has a soft consistency and a satin appearance (and forms peaks). Set aside.
For the choux topping, mix the butter (in small pieces), sugar, flour, and Nigella seeds in a bowl. Work by hand until you get a paste. Spread between 2 sheets of parchment paper until 1 mm thick. Put in the freezer until hardened. Cut out 10 discs of 20 mm in diameter and 10 discs of 40 mm in diameter. Return to the freezer.
With a 10 mm pastry bag, form 10 choux pastries of 20 mm in diameter and 10 of 40 mm. Cover with the crispy topping discs and place in the oven at 180°C. Bake for 15 to 20 mins, until they are well inflated. Open the oven for 10 seconds to remove moisture and close it again. Cook for another 5 mins or so, until the choux are perfectly golden, then set aside.
To make the orange cream, put the orange juice in a saucepan. Reduce to about 50% on high heat. Remove from the stove while adding the milk, then let the mixture boil. In a bowl, work the flour, 75 g sugar, and eggs. Gradually pour in the boiling milk mixture, turning briskly. Place everything in the saucepan over low heat. Cook until thickened, then remove from the heat when it starts to simmer. Put the mixture in the fridge. Whisk the cream (cold) with 15 g sugar very quickly to obtain a whipped cream. Gently mix in this whipped cream with the cold orange custard.
Finally, pierce the base of the choux with a sharp knife. Using a 6mm pastry bag, garnish with the orange cream. Assemble the religieuses by placing the small choux on the large choux, held together by a little bit of orange cream in between. Decorate with small “flames” of the cream.
Serve with Abesh Eweha, a traditional beverage from Argoba. Bon appétit!