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)…
What you'll need
Ingredients
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
The method
Directions
01
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.
02
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.
03
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.
04
Add the onions to the pan and simmer for 10 minutes until they are tender.
05
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.
06
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.
07
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.
08
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.
09
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.
10
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.
This vibrant, flavor-packed dish is perfect for easy entertaining or effortless weeknight dinners. Juicy, marinated chicken roasts atop a bed of colorful vegetables—artichokes, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, and lemon slices—infused with briny capers and fresh…
This quick and easy meatball recipe from Cook’s Country utilizes a few shortcuts that make it an easy recipe for weeknight cooking. Their technique of simmering the meatballs in the tomato sauce in the ambient heat of the oven cooks them evenly without requ…
This is a quick and easy way to cook chicken cutlets. As with most coatings, it helps to have everything lined up in order, to make the assembly quick and easy. You can easily do a salad version by adding some arugula to the cherry tomatoes.
Fold in half along dotted line, blank sides facing in
Fold in half along dotted line, blank sides facing in
Cook Like James
Savory Chicken Mushroom Vol-Au-Vent
Prep
Cook
Yield
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)…
Ingredients
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
Cook Like James · The method
Directions
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.
6
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.
7
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.
8
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.
9
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.
10
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.
Cook Like James
Savory Chicken Mushroom Vol-Au-Vent
Prep
Cook
Yield
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)…
Ingredients
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
Directions
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.
6
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.
7
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.
8
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.
9
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.
10
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.
