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French Appetizer Featured

Vol-au-Vent

An authentic recipe for classic French Vol-au-Vent, combining buttery, airy puff pastry shells with a velvety chicken and mushroom ragout.

Level Medium Prep 30 min Cook 25 min Servings 4 Score 4.9/10

Ready in

55 min

Makes 4 servings

Prep 30m

Cook 25m

Level Medium

About this recipe

An authentic recipe for classic French Vol-au-Vent, combining buttery, airy puff pastry shells with a velvety chicken and mushroom ragout.

A traditional French appetizer featuring light, flaky puff pastry shells filled with a rich and savory chicken and mushroom ragout.

Ingredients

Servings

Units

Pastry

1 sheet puff pastry (thawed if frozen)
1 piece egg (beaten, for egg wash)

Filling

1 cup chicken breast (cooked and diced)
1 cup mushrooms (sliced)
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper (to taste)

Equipment

Baking sheet For baking pastry cases
Round cookie cutters For shaping pastry
Skillet For preparing the creamy filling

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut circles out of the puff pastry sheet using round cookie cutters, and cut smaller inner circles out of half of them to form rings.
Stack the rings onto the solid base circles, brush with egg wash, and bake for 20-25 minutes until puffed and golden.
In a skillet, melt butter and sauté the sliced mushrooms until tender.
Stir in flour to form a roux, then gradually whisk in chicken broth and heavy cream until thickened.
Add the diced cooked chicken, season with salt and pepper, and simmer until hot and creamy.
Spoon the warm chicken and mushroom filling into the hollow baked puff pastry cases and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories 380

Protein 14g

Carbs 26g

Fat 25g

Fiber 2g

Sugar 2g

Sodium 480mg

Serving Size 1 piece

Cooking Timeline

Prep 30 min

Cook 25 min

Total 55 min

Recipe Scorecard

Overall 9.4 /10

Expert 4.9 95% conf.

Taste 9.7
Presentation 9.8
Nutrition 7.0
Value 9.0
Instructions 9.2
Ingredients 9.0
Time Accuracy 9.0
Difficulty 7.5
Would Make Again 9.0

Expert Review

Reviewed by FindEdition Kitchen

Verdict

An elegant, flaky French classic that impresses guests with its creamy filling and delicate pastry.

Pros

Flaky texture
Rich creamy filling
Impressive presentation

Cons

Requires care when handling puff pastry

Overview

A traditional French appetizer featuring light, flaky puff pastry shells filled with a rich and savory chicken and mushroom ragout.

AI Insights

Summary

An authentic recipe for classic French Vol-au-Vent, combining buttery, airy puff pastry shells with a velvety chicken and mushroom ragout.

Tips

Keep the puff pastry cold while working with it so it puffs up properly in the oven
Do not open the oven door during the first 15 minutes of baking pastries
Serve hot right after filling so the pastry stays crisp