Homemade Vol Au Vents Recipes

VOL AU VENT CASES

Steps:

• For this Vol au Vent Cases recipe, start rolling out the puff pastry. Although puff pastry is quite technical, I invite you to follow my easy, step-by-step recipe for a home-made flaky pastry. You won't be disappointed! For best results, I recommend using extra dry butter.
• Roll the puff pastry to a thickness of 4 or 5mm. Using an Exoglass round pastry cutter Ø 10cm (I used a fluted cutter for this recipe), cut the pastry into discs...
• ... and slightly twist the cutter on your floured worktop to make sure the disc is cut in a perfectly neat shape. The pastry disc will detach easily from the puff pastry slab.
• Cut as many discs as you need. 500 grams of puff pastry yields 12 discs of Ø 10cm, for a total of 6 bouchées.
• Arrange 6 pastry discs on a Silpat baking mat, placed on top of a Silichef XL perforated baking sheet.
• Using a pastry brush, glaze the discs with eggwash (a beaten egg yolk with a little water).
• With the 6 other pastry discs on your floured worktop, cut a hole in the centre with a smaller pastry cutter. I used an Exoglass round fluted cutter with a diameter of 6cm.
• Repeat the operation for all discs. You should now have 6 pastry rings.
• Carefully arrange the rings on top of the pastry discs. The rings will adhere to the glazed pastry discs easily.
• Glaze the pastry rings...
• ... and store in the fridge for about 2 hours before baking. Ideally, start the recipe the day before and refrigerate overnight to prevent the pastry from shrinking during baking.
• Remove from the fridge and apply another brush of eggwash along the rings.
• Place small dariole moulds (height 5 or 6cm) in the four corners of the baking sheet. This will help control the rise of the puff pastry shells while baking...
• ... and place a baking sheet on top of the dariole moulds. I recommend using a heavy baking sheet, such as black steel. An aluminium baking sheet might not be heavy enough.
• Bake in a fan-assisted oven at 170°C (gas 3) for 20 to 25 minutes.
• 20 minutes later, the pastry cases should have risen to a regular height. Remove the baking sheet on top.
• Bake for a further 5 or 10 minutes. At this stage, there is no more risk of the pastry cases collapsing. Make sure the base of the pastry shells is well cooked. Gently lift the vol au vent cases to check.
• When cooked, remove from the oven...
• ... then place the tray on your kitchen worktop and leave to cool.
• Your home-made vol au vent cases are now ready to be filled with the filling of your choice (chicken and mushroom sauce for traditional bouchées à la reine or seafood sauce).

CREAMY CHICKEN VOL-AU-VENT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. On a lightly floured surface, unfold 1 puff pastry sheet. Using a 3-1/4-in. round cutter, cut out six circles. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet., Unfold the remaining pastry sheet. Cut 6 more circles out with the 3-1/4-in. round cutter; with a 2-1/2-in. cutter, cut centers out of the circles. Place the rings on top of the circles that are on the baking sheet. Place the center circles also on the baking sheet. In a small bowl, whisk egg and water; brush over pastries. Chill 15 minutes. Bake until dark golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack., Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain. Discard all but 1 tablespoon drippings. Add leeks and pepper to drippings; cook and stir over medium-high heat until tender, 5-7 minutes. Reduce heat to low; stir in bacon, chicken, cream cheese, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until blended; remove from heat., When cool enough to handle, hollow out pastries with a small knife. Fill with chicken mixture. Sprinkle with parsley and pepper. Serve with small center pastries on the side.

PARTY VOL-AU-VENTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut into 30 x 6cm squares, trimming any edges. Score a smaller square inside each one, leaving a 7.5mm border, taking care not to cut the pastry all the way through.
• Put the squares on the tray, lightly brush with egg glaze and bake for 15 mins until puffed up and golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. When cool, carefully remove and discard the central piece of pastry from each one. To serve, fill with the fillings (see 'goes well with'). The vol-au-vent cases can be kept in an airtight container for up to a day before filling and serving.

VOL-AU-VENT

Steps:

• Lightly flour a clean work surface. Using a rolling pin, gently roll out dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Using a 4-inch vol-au-vent cutter, cut out 4 rounds. If using a 3 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut out 8 rounds; cut out centers from half the rounds with a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter to form rings.
• In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk and cream. Using a pastry brush, moisten top of each vol-au-vent with egg wash, being careful not to let any drip down over the cut edges. (Or moisten each ring and round with egg wash; lay one ring on top of each round, lining up outside edges.) Place vol-au-vents on an ungreased baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap; place in refrigerator 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bake until vol-au-vents are puffed and golden on the outside, about 12 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees; continue baking 10 to 12 minutes to let insides cook through.
• Transfer vol-au-vents to a wire rack. While still warm, cut out center of tops with a paring knife; set aside. Remove and discard inside dough, and let shells cool completely. Spoon or pipe in desired filling. Replace tops, and serve.

VOL-AU-VENT

Steps:

• First, prepare the puff pastry. Sieve the flour and put it on a board making a well in the middle. Into the center of this circle put salt and water - the exact amount of water may vary depending on the type of flour. Mix and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. Form into a ball and let it stand for 25 minutes.
• Roll out the dough evenly into a sheet measuring 20 x 20 cm (8" x 8"). Put the kneaded butter in the middle and fold the ends of the dough over the butter to enclose it completely. Leave it to stand for 10 minutes in a cool place.
• The next step is called tourage - giving turns to the dough. Flour the board lightly and roll the dough with a rolling pin to obtain a rectangle 60 cm (24") long, 20 cm (8") wide, and 1.5 cm (5/8") thick. Refold the strip in three and roll the folded dough in the opposite direction.
• Give 4 more turns to the dough, leaving it to stand for 10 minutes between each turn. After having been given the 6 prescribed turns, the puff pastry is ready to use.
• Roll the pastry to a thickness of 5 mm (1/5"). Cut the first piece in a circle 15 cm (6") in diameter and place it on a baking sheet which has been brushed with water. Cut the second piece into a circle and remove a round from the middle so it resembles a ring with the interior diameter of 11 cm () and the exterior diameter of 16 cm (). Brush the first piece with water and place the second piece on top. Press lightly to fix and leave for 10 minutes
• Brush the top with a beaten egg. Cut a circle on the central part which will be used as a lid after baking. Bake in a hot oven (180°C/350°F) for 20 to 25 minutes. Detach the lid afterward and leave to cool.
• Next, prepare the sauce financière. Put the shredded ham, mignonette, thyme, bay leaf, mushroom and truffle trimmings and 2 glasses of Madeira in a saucepan. Boil down over low heat and add the consommé. Boil down in half, strain, put back on the heat and mix in ½ glass Madeira. Finally, boil down in a bain-marie.
• Assemble the vol-au-vent by filling them with tepid sauce financière and covering them with a lid. Serve immediately.

HOMEMADE VOL-AU-VENT

Steps:

• Remove one sheet from puff pastry package and let it thaw out.
• Stretch sheet on a baking sheet lined with silicone mat and using a cookie cutter (3 1/16-inch or 78 mm), cut out circles. There will be some dough left so roll it out and cut a couple more circles. Using a smaller cookie cutter (1 7/8-inch or 48 mm), cut the center of only 4 of the 8 circles.
• Brush all eight circles with an egg wash (egg yolk mixed with milk). Take the circles with the smaller ones in the middle and stack them on top of the ones without the smaller circles.
• Transfer to a 400ºF preheated oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove from the heat and using a pointed knife, remove the small circle, leaving a hollow shell. Proceed with your recipe
• To view this recipe on YouTube, click on this link >>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCsJn-EV7mU

PUFF PASTRY VOL AU VENTS

Steps:

• 1) Place the puff pastry on a clean surface. With a metal serving ring, cup or glass cut out 14 large circles, 3 inches (7,5 cm) in diameter. Leave 2 of the circles intact and then cut out the middle of the remaining 12 circles, creating rings.
• 2) Then remove the middle circle. Prick holes in the 2 intact circles using a fork.
• 3) Once that's done, assemble the vol au vent: place the 2 intact pastry circles and the 14 pastry rings on a clean chopping board. Brush them all with a little beaten egg yolk.
• 4) Then start building up the vol au vent: place the pastry ring on top of the circle. Keep on doing that until you have a nice little stack of puff pastry.
• 5) You can also use the mini circles you cut out and then brush them with the egg yolk if you don't want to throw them away.
• 6) Place the 2 pastry towers (and the small circles) on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake them in a preheated oven at 374°F (190°C) for 25 to 30 minutes until golden and crisp. Keep an eye on them and cover with tinfoil if necessary. Then remove them from the hot oven and serve with your favorite filling!

OYSTER VOL-AU-VENTS

Steps:

• Pat the oysters dry with paper towels and set aside.
• Prepare béchamel sauce by combining the milk, bay leaf, onion, peppercorns and celery in a small, heavy-based saucepan, over a medium heat until bubbles form around the edge of the saucepan. Remove from the heat and stand at room temperature for 15 minutes to cool. Strain and reserve the milk.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan until hot and bubbling. Add the flour and stir constantly for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and gradually add the milk, whisking constantly to avoid the sauce from becoming lumpy.
• Return the saucepan to the heat and cook the sauce, stirring constantly on a medium-high heat until it comes to the boil and thickens. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• Preheat the oven to 200ºC.
• Spoon 1 teaspoon of béchamel sauce into the base of each vol-au-vent case, top with an oyster and spoon over a little extra béchamel sauce.
• Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the pastry is crisp and hot. Just before serving, sprinkle with chopped chives.
• Note: These vol-au-vents can be prepared a few hours in advance and put in the oven just before they are required.

ESCARGOTS VOL-AU-VENT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Drain escargots; rinse in cold water and drain again.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, garlic, green onion, parsley, pepper, nutmeg and wine. Mix thoroughly. Place 1 teaspoon of butter mixture into each pastry shell. Top each with 1 escargot, cover with another teaspoon of butter mixture and place mushroom cap on top.
• Arrange pastry shells on a 10x15 inch baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

VOL AU VENTS

Steps:

• Put the stock and bay leaf in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, and turn off the heat.
• Melt the butter in a saute pan and fry the onions for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until shrunken, dark and golden. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle over the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until it disappears. Pour over the stock, add the chicken and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Stir in the creme fraiche and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley.
• Spoon the chicken mixture into the vol au vent shells and serve.

VOL AU VENT APPETIZERS

Steps:

• Pre heat oven to 350F (180C).
• Unroll the puff pastry dough, using a 2 1/2 -3 inch (6 cm) diameter circle cookie cutter, cut out circles. Remove half the circles and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. The remaining disks, make a hole in the middle using a smaller cutter 1 1/2 inches (3 cm in diameter).
• Prick the circles with the fork tines and brush them with the beaten egg. On each of the circles place 1-2 cut out rings, (make sure to brush the rings and edges with beaten egg. This will help keep the the vol au vent together and also gives them a golden colour).
• Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until they appear swollen and golden. Let cool completely before filling.
• Cook shrimp in boiling water for about 2-3 minutes, drain well. Add to a medium bowl and toss with lemon juice, then add the mayonnaise, celery and salt and pepper to taste. Fill cooled vol au vent.
• In a small bowl add sliced salmon toss with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and chopped arugula. Fill vol au vent and sprinkle with parmesan flakes.