I
first had this dish when I was about 11 years old and thought it seemed so
fancy. It’s basically just a more
elegant version of chicken pot pie, but it does make an impressive entrée. Vol-au-vent
(French for “flying in the wind” to describe its lightness) is a small hollow
case or box of puff pastry. Round is the traditional shape for vol-au-vent, but
you can make any shape you like. (Or buy the premade shells from Pepperidge
Farm.)
Serves
8 Download Chicken vol-au-vent recipe
2
sheets puff pastry {13”x9”}, purchased (Dufour if you can find it) or homemade
1
large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
1
½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt
and pepper
5
Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
16
white mushrooms, stems trimmed flat, quartered
1
garlic clove, minced
1/2
cup dry white wine
1
teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
3
½ cups chicken stock
1/4
cup all-purpose flour
18
pearl onions, trimmed and peeled
2
tablespoons Dijon mustard
2
tablespoons heavy cream
2
tablespoons chopped chervil
1. Pat the chicken dry with paper
towels and season with salt and pepper. Cut chicken into 1” pieces. Melt 2
tablespoons of the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until the
foam subsides. Brown the chicken lightly on both sides, about 5-7 minutes.
Transfer the chicken to medium saucepan.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the
pan. When the butter begins to brown add the mushrooms. Season with salt
and pepper and cook until the mushrooms are lightly golden, about 7 to 10
minutes. Add
the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the wine, thyme,
scraping up any browned bits off the skillet bottom; turn the heat to
high, bring to a simmer, and cook until reduced by about half, 2-3
minutes. Pour the mushrooms over
the chicken.
3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons
butter to the skillet and return to medium heat until melted. Stir in the
flour and cook, stirring constantly, until incorporated, about 1 minute. Slowly
whisk in chicken stock and bring to simmer, then continue to simmer until
sauce fully thickens, about 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the onions to the pan and
simmer for 10 minutes until they are tender.
5. Stir in the Dijon mustard and
cream, add chicken and mushroom mixture; season with salt and
pepper to taste. Bring to a quick boil and turn off the heat. Up to this
point, the filling can be made up to two days in advance and then
re-warmed to serve.
To
make the vol-au-vents:
1. Use a sharp knife to cut each
sheet of the chilled puff pastry into 8 equal rectangles, about 4 1/2” x
3”. Cut a smaller rectangle out of the center of 8 rectangles, leaving a
1/2 inch border all around so it looks like a picture frame.
2. Line up the 8 uncut rectangles on a half
sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Place the rectangles cut from the
centers alongside. Brush them lightly with egg wash.
3. Place the “pictures frames” on
top of the egg washed large rectangles, lining up the outside edges. Brush
the picture frame lightly with egg wash. Use a fork to prick the center of
the frame well. This will keep the center from over puffing and allow the
sides of the box to rise above. Chill for 20 minutes in the refrigerator.
4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
F. Place the chilled vol-au-vent directly into the oven and bake for 10 to
12 minutes until the dough starts to puff and turn golden. Reduce the heat
to 375 degrees F and continue to bake 10 to 15 minutes until very golden
and cooked through. Remove from the oven and press down the centers of the
vol-au-vent and place on individual serving plates.
5. Fold the chopped chervil into the
filling and spoon into the center of the vol-au-vents. Top with the puffed
center rectangles and serve.