Vol-au-vent aux Champignons
A classic Belgian puff pastry case filled with a rich and creamy mushroom and chicken ragout. Often served as a starter or a light main course.
🧂 Ingredients
- 2 sheets Puff pastry(store-bought or homemade)
- 50 g Butter
- 1 medium Onion(finely chopped)
- 400 g Mushrooms(sliced (e.g., button, cremini))
- 300 g Chicken breast(cooked and diced)
- 30 g All-purpose flour
- 300 ml Chicken broth
- 150 ml Heavy cream
- 2 tbsp Fresh parsley(chopped)
- to taste Salt
- to taste Black pepper(freshly ground)
- 1 for glazing Egg yolk
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Cut out circles from puff pastry to form the vol-au-vent cases. Place the larger circles on a baking sheet, score a smaller circle inside each, and place the smaller circles on top to create a raised edge. Brush with egg yolk.
⏱️ 10 minutes - 2
Bake puff pastry cases for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and puffed. Once cooled, carefully remove the inner circle to create a hollow.
⏱️ 20 minutes - 3
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté chopped onion until softened, about 5 minutes.
⏱️ 5 minutes - 4
Add sliced mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid and start to brown, about 8-10 minutes.
⏱️ 10 minutes - 5
Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute to form a roux. Gradually whisk in chicken broth until smooth.
⏱️ 2 minutes - 6
Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes until thickened. Stir in heavy cream, diced cooked chicken, chopped parsley, salt, and pepper.
⏱️ 10 minutes - 7
Gently heat the filling through. Spoon the mushroom and chicken mixture into the baked vol-au-vent cases just before serving.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Ensure puff pastry is well-chilled for maximum puff.
- ✓Don't overcrowd the pan when cooking mushrooms to ensure they brown properly.
- ✓The filling can be made ahead and reheated gently.
🔄 Variations
- Add a splash of white wine to the mushroom mixture for extra flavor.
- Substitute chicken with cooked shrimp or a mix of seafood.
- For a vegetarian version, omit the chicken and add more varied mushrooms or other vegetables like peas and asparagus.