Description
This Wild Mushroom Vol-au-Vent recipe is a classic French appetizer featuring flaky puff pastry filled with a rich and savory wild mushroom mixture, enhanced with thyme, garlic, white wine, and crème fraîche. Perfect for elegant entertaining or a sophisticated snack, these bite-sized treats combine crispy pastry shells with a creamy, earthy mushroom filling.
Ingredients
Scale
Pastry
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed but very cold
Mushroom Filling
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8 ounces wild mixed mushrooms, chopped to a rubble
- 1 whole garlic clove, smashed
- 2 stems fresh thyme
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons crème fraîche
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) to ensure it’s ready for baking the puff pastry shells.
- Prepare Puff Pastry: Lightly flour a cutting board and place the thawed but very cold puff pastry sheet on it. Cut out nine 2.5-inch circles using a biscuit cutter. Then, use a smaller 1.5-inch biscuit cutter to press an indent in the center of each circle, being careful not to cut all the way through.
- Bake Pastry Shells: Place the pastry circles on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until they are puffed up and golden brown.
- Cook Mushroom Filling: While the pastry bakes, melt the unsalted butter in a wide sauté pan over medium heat. Add the chopped wild mushrooms, smashed garlic clove, and fresh thyme stems. Sauté for about 4 minutes, until the mushrooms have shrunk significantly and the pan is mostly dry.
- Season and Reduce: Season the mushroom mixture with salt and pepper, then add the dry white wine to the pan. Allow the wine to reduce until almost evaporated. Remove the garlic clove and thyme stems from the mixture, and remove the pan from heat.
- Finish Filling: Stir in the crème fraîche until the mixture is creamy and well combined.
- Assemble Vol-au-Vents: Use a paring knife to gently remove the smaller center disc from each baked puff pastry shell to create a cavity. Fill each cavity generously with the mushroom filling.
- Replace Pastry Tops: Finally, replace the reserved small pastry discs on top of each vol-au-vent to complete the presentation. Serve immediately for the best texture and flavor.
Notes
- Ensure the puff pastry is very cold before cutting to achieve good puffing during baking.
- You can substitute crème fraîche with sour cream or heavy cream if unavailable.
- For a vegetarian version, confirm the crème fraîche aligns with your dietary preference.
- Wild mushrooms can be a mix of shiitake, cremini, oyster, and chanterelles for the best flavor complexity.
- Serve these vol-au-vents warm for the best taste and texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Keywords: wild mushroom vol-au-vent, puff pastry appetizer, French appetizer, mushroom filling, crème fraîche, easy elegant appetizer
