Creamy mushroom and thyme vol-au-vents

July 17, 2012 (Last Updated: January 11, 2019)

Creamy mushroom and thyme vol-au-vents are amazing appetisers. Vol-au-vent is French for ‘windblown’, which describes the lightness of these oh-so-retro pastry cases. These small, hollow puff pastry cases have a round opening cut in the top and the pastry scooped out to create nifty little holders for delicious fillings – they make the perfect dinner-party canapé. 

Print Recipe

Creamy mushroom and thyme vol-au-vents

Serves: Makes 8 - 10 cases
Cooking Time: 50 mins + extra to chill

Ingredients

  • Vol-au-vent

  • 500g puff pastry
  • flour, to dust
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 15ml (1 tbsp) water

  • Filling

  • 15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
  • 30ml (2 tbsp) butter
  • 250g mixed mushrooms (oyster, porcini, portabellini and button), roughly chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 15ml (1 tbsp) fresh thyme leaves, plus extra to serve
  • 5ml (1 tsp) fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 45ml (3 tbsp) brandy
  • 125ml (½ cup) fresh cream
  • 30ml (2 tbsp) Parmesan, grated
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1

Preheat the oven to 180°C and roll the pastry out on a floured surface. Cut the dough into 8 squares, each 10cm thick. Place the squares on a baking tray lined with baking paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Combine the egg yolk and water together to make an egg wash.

2

To build the vol-au-vents, use pastry cutters to cut two round discs of 10cm in diameter out of two of the pastry squares. Brush one with egg wash, and cut a 6cm round disc out of the centre of the second square, to obtain a ring. Place the ring on top of the first disc, edge to edge. Return to the lined baking tray and refrigerate. Repeat with the remaining pastry squares.

3

Brush the pastry lightly with egg wash and bake for 25 – 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and once cooled, scoop out the pastry that’s puffed up inside the pastry case to form a hollow shell.

4

For the filling, heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, rosemary and brandy. Fry for a further 1 minute.

5

Add the cream and Parmesan and cook for 1 minute until thickened slightly. Remove from the heat and season well.

6

Spoon the filling into the vol-au-vent cases and scatter with the extra thyme before serving.

 

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July 17, 2012 (Last Updated: January 11, 2019) By
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