Vol-au-Vents with Creamy Chicken and Mushroom

Before you start

Vol-au-vents are round puff pastry cases with a hollow center and a small lid, made for holding a filling. The name translates loosely as "flying in the wind," a nod to how high they rise. The cases are built from two layers: a solid base and a ring on top, both cut from the same sheet of pastry. As the layers of butter and dough separate in the oven, the walls grow straight up.

Clean cuts are everything. A sharp cutter pressed straight down leaves the layers open so they can lift; a dull or twisted cutter seals the edges, and egg wash dripped down the sides glues them shut. Keep the pastry cold before baking. The creamy chicken and mushroom filling is classic, but the cases also take seafood, vegetables or sweet fillings.

Ingredients

• Cases500 g (1.1 lb) all-butter puff pastry — chilled
• 1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp milk — for egg wash
• as needed all-purpose flour — for rolling
• Filling30 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter
• 1 large shallot — finely chopped
• 250 g (9 oz) cremini mushrooms — sliced
• 20 g (2½ tbsp) all-purpose flour
• 300 ml (1¼ cups) chicken stock
• 120 ml (½ cup) heavy cream
• 300 g (2 cups) cooked chicken — diced
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• to taste salt and black pepper

Method

1. Roll the pastry on a floured surface to an even 5 mm (¼ in) thick. Cut 16 rounds with the 7.5 cm cutter, pressing straight down without twisting. Reroll scraps once if needed, stacked rather than balled up.
2. Using the 4.5 cm cutter, cut the centers out of 8 rounds to make rings. Keep the small centers; they bake into lids.
3. Place the 8 solid bases on a parchment-lined sheet and prick their centers with a fork, which keeps the middle from rising. Brush a thin ring of egg wash around the outer edge of each base.
4. Lay a ring on each base, lining up the edges, and press gently. Brush egg wash on the tops of the rings and the lids only, keeping it off the cut sides. Put the lids on the same sheet. Refrigerate for 20 minutes while the oven heats to 200°C (400°F).
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cases are tall, crisp and deep golden. Take the lids out after 12 to 15 minutes, once browned. Gently press down or scoop out any soft dough in the center of each case.
6. While they bake, make the filling. Melt the butter in a skillet, cook the shallot for 2 minutes, then add the mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat until browned and their liquid is gone, about 8 minutes.
7. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute. Gradually stir in the stock, then the cream, and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until it coats a spoon.
8. Add the chicken and thyme and simmer until heated through to 74°C (165°F), about 3 minutes. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper and add the parsley.
9. Spoon the hot filling into the warm cases so it mounds slightly, set the lids on top at an angle and serve right away.

Tips for success

• If the cases lean, they were uneven or the pastry was rolled unevenly. Roll with light, even strokes and turn the pastry often.
• Bake the cases up to a day ahead and reheat them at 180°C (350°F) for 5 minutes before filling.
• For bite-sized party cases, use 5 cm and 3 cm cutters and bake for about 15 minutes.

Substitutions

Cooked chicken

Use cooked shrimp, or sautéed leeks and peas for a vegetarian version; add shrimp at the end and heat just until hot.

Heavy cream

Use whole milk with an extra 5 g flour. The sauce is thinner and less rich but still coats the filling.

Homemade cases

Frozen ready-made vol-au-vent shells save time; bake according to the package and fill the same way.

Variations

Seafood vol-au-vents

Replace the chicken with 300 g mixed cooked shrimp and scallops and add a splash of dry white wine with the stock.

Sweet berry cases

Fill cooled cases with pastry cream and fresh berries, then dust with powdered sugar.

Troubleshooting

Cases tipped over in the oven

The pastry was uneven, or the ring was not aligned on the base. Roll evenly, line up the edges and chill before baking.

Walls barely rose

Egg wash ran down the sides or the cutter was dull. Brush only the tops, use a sharp cutter and press straight down.

Bottoms turned soggy

The cases were filled too early. Fill them just before serving, with hot filling into warm cases.

Storage

Store unfilled baked cases airtight at room temperature for up to 2 days. Refrigerate the filling within 2 hours and use within 3 days; reheat it to 74°C (165°F) before filling freshly warmed cases. Filled vol-au-vents do not keep well.

Safety notes

Heat the chicken filling to 74°C (165°F) and refrigerate leftovers promptly. Contains wheat, egg and milk.