Preheat the
oven to 350F. In a large saucepan, cook the milk, butter, sugar and
vanilla until the butter melts. Add flour and salt, and stir over low
heat; the mixture will pull away from the sides of the pan and form a
ball. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until there is a film on
the bottom of the pan. Place the mixture in the bowl of an electric
mixer and allow to cool slightly. When cool, add the eggs one at a time,
beating well after each addition.
Place in a
pastry bag and pipe 3-4 inch long éclair shapes onto a greased baking
sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and, when cold, split
open horizontally with a sharp knife. Whip the heavy cream with vanilla.
Melt the chocolate in top of a double boiler. Fill the éclairs with
piped whipped cream and coat with melted chocolate.