Tag-Archive for » vol-au-vents «
This is so simple to make and very yummy, I usually serve this in the really large vol-au-vent shells, but I could not get any, so I had to serve in medium ones. These are not ideal as you can not get much filling into them, I ended up pouring some of the filling over after taking a photo, so we were not eating just pastry cases with no filling, which is ok but does not look the most appealing. I usually buy the 12.5cm cases just so you can get an idea of the size compared to the ones in the photo.
Ingredients
4 x 12.5 cm Vol-auVent cases (read note above with regards to the ones used in the photo.)
Olive oil
700g Chicken breasts, cut into chunks
3 Cloves garlic, crushed
300g Mushrooms, sliced thinly
1 leek, sliced thinly
1 Packets cream of chicken soup (The one I buy makes up 1 liter)
2 Cups milk
1 cup chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 Teaspoon dried tarragon
1 Avocado, chopped
Method
1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Heat oil in a pan cook chicken in batches until browned, remove and set to one side.
3. Heat a little more oil in the same pan, add leeks, garlic and mushrooms, cook until leeks and mushrooms have softened, return chicken to pan and removed from heat.
4. In a saucepan whisk soup powder with milk and stock, bring to the boil to thicken, stir in tarragon. (my packet mix requires one more cup of liquid than I use, so that I end up with a thicker version than a soup, to use as the sauce, so bear this in mind.)
5. Pour soup mix into pan with chicken and mushroom mix, stir to combine, gently stir in avocado.
6. Place spoonfuls of chicken mix into pastry cases, bake in oven for about 5-8 Min’s until hot.
I served our with honeyed carrots and buttered spinach.
All photos taken by me unless otherwise stated.
Vol-au-vents are pastry cases that can be filled with just about any filling you want. They come in various sizes from large cases for meals to quite small cases for canapes.
They are very good, although a little naughty because of the pastry. Here is a recipe I came up with a few years ago and it works really well and is also delicious.
Ingredients Olive oil
4 Seasoned chicken breasts ( I sprinkle both sides of the breasts with garlic, paprika and parsley)
1 Onion, chopped finely
1 Clove garlic, crushed
250g Mushrooms, sliced
1 Avocado, chopped
4 large vol-au-vent cases (about 13cm in diameter)
For the sauce
1 Cup milk
11/2 Teaspoons concentrated chicken stock (powder, cubes, paste etc.. My stock is quite dense so adjust quantity for taste with what you use.)
2 Teaspoons cornflour
1/2 Cup dry white wine
1 Teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 Cup light cream
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Pinch cayenne
Method
Note: I could not get large vol-au-vent cases and used medium ones, they are just too small you can’t fit enough filling in so there is too much pastry. For photo purposes I didn’t overfill, but if this size is all you can get I suggest over stuffing and pouring extra filling and sauce over the top when dishing out. It doesn’t look as pretty but you get a good ratio of filling to pastry and it still tastes delicious. The quantity of filling is for large cases and works well, but is to much for such small cases (hence over stuff). I used 2 cases for myself but gave 3 to my hubby.
1. Heat oil in a pan and add onion and garlic, cook until onion softens, add mushrooms and cook until soft. Set aside.
2. Wipe pan clean and add some more oil add seasoned breasts and cook both sides until cooked through. Remove and chop chicken into chunks. Set to one side.
3. Pour milk in a pan with stock and heat. Add a little water to cornflour mix and pour half of the liquid into the milk, stir until mixture thickens slightly.
4. Add wine, Dijon mustard, cayenne and cream stir to combine, add the rest of the cornflour and stir until mixture thickens. Return mushrooms, onion and chicken to cream mixture, add the thyme and stir. Keep hot until serving.
5. Place vol-au-vent cases on an oven tray. Bake in a moderate oven about 5 Min’s or until heated through.
To serve place cases on plate and spoon filling into them. I served mine with honeyed carrots and buttery garlic spinach.
4 Servings
All photo’s taken by me unless other wise stated.
