Vol-au-vent
The classic vol-au-vent of French cuisine consists of a very light puff pastry case (supposedly so light that it could fly off in the lightest puff of wind) with a cream-based filling.
There are many different recipes for fillings. This version uses bacon, chicken, mushrooms and leeks.
There are many different recipes for fillings. This version uses bacon, chicken, mushrooms and leeks.
108K 41 4.1
Last modified on: October 20th 2013
Keywords for this recipe:Puff pastryCream basedFillingMushroomsFor 4 people, you will need:
- 1
1 leek - 2
½ onion - 3
3 cups + 3 tablespoons mushrooms - 4
½ lemon - 5
2⁄3 cup small pieces of bacon - 6
1 tablespoon vinegar - 7
1 cup chicken breast - 8
1 cup cream - 9
6 tablespoons olive oil - 10
4 vol-au-vents cases - 11
salt - 12
pepper
How long does it take?
Time required for this recipe:
| Preparation | Cooking | Start to finish |
|---|---|---|
| 40 min. | 43 min. | 1 hour 23 min. |
At what time:
- When will I finish if I start the recipe at ... ?
When should I start for the recipe to be ready at ... ? - Work this out...
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 20 min.
Stage 2 - 5 min.
Pour 2 tablespoonsful of olive oil into a frying pan on medium heat. When hot, add the chopped onion, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute without colouring.
Add the leek, salt and pepper again, stir well and cook until the leek is just cooked but still a fresh green.
Set aside.
Add the leek, salt and pepper again, stir well and cook until the leek is just cooked but still a fresh green.
Set aside.
Stage 3 - 5 min.
Wash and chop the mushrooms into small pieces (these are shiitake, but you can use others, particularly wild ones: morels, chanterelles, etc.).
Stage 4 - 5 min.
Using the same pan on medium heat, pour in 2 tablespoonsful of olive oil. When hot, add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook briefly (they should not have time to soften much).
At the last minute, add the juice of half a lemon.
Set aside.
At the last minute, add the juice of half a lemon.
Set aside.
Stage 5 - 8 min.
Still using the same pan, fry 2⁄3 cup small pieces of bacon.
At the last minute, add 1 tablespoon vinegar.
Set aside.
At the last minute, add 1 tablespoon vinegar.
Set aside.
Stage 6 - 10 min.
Cut 1 cup chicken breast into small pieces.
Pour 2 tablespoonsful of olive oil into the frying pan and fry the chicken pieces after seasoning.
Pour 2 tablespoonsful of olive oil into the frying pan and fry the chicken pieces after seasoning.
Stage 7 - 2 min.
When they are browned, tip the bacon and mushrooms back into the pan on top.
Stage 8 - 15 min.
Stage 9 - 5 min.
Leave the sauce to reduce on low heat.
.When the mixture has thickened, add the leek then turn off the heat (this will help the leek to stay green).
.When the mixture has thickened, add the leek then turn off the heat (this will help the leek to stay green).
Stage 10 - 8 min.
Reheat the 4 vol-au-vents cases for 5 minutes in the oven. Place a pastry case on each plate and fill until slightly overflowing.
Serve immediately on its own or with pilau rice, for example.
Serve immediately on its own or with pilau rice, for example.
Remarks
The vol-au-vent was invented by the great chef Antonin Carême in the early 19th century.
I maintain (admittedly with a certain caution) that the French "bouchées à la reine" (literally, the Queen's mouthfuls) are simply small, bite-sized vol-au-vents.
I maintain (admittedly with a certain caution) that the French "bouchées à la reine" (literally, the Queen's mouthfuls) are simply small, bite-sized vol-au-vents.
And to drink?
A light Beaujolais.
Keeping
The filling will keep for several days in the fridge, but once the vol-au-vent is filled, only a few
Nutritional information
| Whole recipe | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Energetic value | Proteins | Carbohydrates | Fats |
| 3,030 Kcal or 12,686 Kj | 77 gr | 59 gr | 276 gr |
| 152 % | 30 % | 6 % | 42 % |
| Per 100 g | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Energetic value | Proteins | Carbohydrates | Fats |
| 212 Kcal or 888 Kj | 5 gr | 4 gr | 19 gr |
| 11 % | 2 % | <1 % | 3 % |
| Per person | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Energetic value | Proteins | Carbohydrates | Fats |
| 758 Kcal or 3,174 Kj | 19 gr | 15 gr | 69 gr |
| 38 % | 7 % | 1 % | 10 % |
How much will it cost?
Source
Home made.
This recipe uses (among others)
 | Mushrooms: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Fillets of sole Dieppoise, Escalope of veal in a cream sauce, Eggs "en cocotte" with spinach, Beef Wellington, Chicken pie, ... All |
 | Cream: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Chocolate tart, Nanou's apple and almond cake, Escalope of veal in a cream sauce, Baked potoatoes with herb butter or cream , Feta and spinach brik pie, ... All |
 | Chicken breast: You can check-out other recipes which use it, like for example: Beetroot and fried chicken salad, Thai-style Chicken with Cashew Nuts, Taos hotpot, Warm chicken salad, Tex-Mex chicken burger, ... All |
 | Small pieces of bacon: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: African style chicken, Bourguignon potatoes , Warm haricot bean salad, Breton Pie, Truffade, ... All |
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